Meant To Be
by gigabyte1
Summary: Emily and Paige meet in college. Paily AU.
1. A New Life

**Hi, guys. I finally decided to write another story. I don't have all the time I'd like, but this idea came to my mind and I felt like writing, so I hope you like it. I won't have a lot of free time, so you'll have to wait a little bit for the updates. Sorry! :) Anyway, a lot of you liked my other stories and I feel really grateful to you, so this is a little gift for you all. Thanks!**

**Enjoy!**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 1: A New Life**_

**Emily's POV**

I think I'm one of the luckiest person on Earth. Today is my first day at university, but I didn't come here alone. Two of my best friends, Hanna and Spencer, got accepted at this university and my boyfriend is studying here too. So, my life will change a little bit because I won't be living with my parents in Rosewood, but other than that, I'm glad I'll be sharing this amazing experience with people I love. I know college is about meeting new people and starting a new life, and I'm willing to have those experiences, but having a circle of friends and a boyfriend around is really comforting. Hanna and Spencer are renting a little apartment near campus. The two of them living in the same house will not be boring at all, that's for sure. I, on the other side, I'm staying in a dorm on campus. I'm going to have to share the dorm – bathroom included - with another student, but with the peculiarity that bedrooms are separated by a wall, so there's more privacy for both of us. However, I don't know who my roommate will be yet. I admit that I'm a little nervous, because I'm going to put up with that person even if we don't get along.

Ben and I are taking a walk around campus, enjoying this huge and awesome place. There are a lot of students all over the campus. Most of them seem to be lost, I can tell they don't know the place. The ones who are not first year students are so recognizable. They have no worries at all. They're laying on the grass, yelling at each other, laughing hardly, playing ball, studying. I guess the first day is the hardest, but I hope it gets better. I don't know why, but I have a good feeling about this place. I am heading to my dorm room with the intention of leaving my belongings, and Ben is coming with me.

"You don't have to come, Ben. I know my room number and I also know it's that building over there," I say pointing at the huge modern building in front of us.

"I want to come with you. Your roommate could be a psycho, I don't want you to be alone fighting for your life," he jokes as he puts his arm on my shoulder.

"Okay, but I'm pretty sure I won't have to fear for my life," I add smiling at him.

We keep walking until we get to my dorm room door. I don't know if my roommate will be there, so I open the door with the key the man at the reception gave me. The door opens and I look inside. There's a girl lying on bed, she's listening to music with big black headphones. She's wearing tight black jeans, a v-neck black t-shirt and black military style boots. She has long brown straight hair. I can tell she's not happy, I clearly interrupted her special moment.

"I'm sorry," I add when she takes her headphones off and stares at me with a non-friendly look. Ben is still behind me, standing in the corridor and eager to know who my new roommate is. "I guess I'm your roommate. I'm Emily Fields, nice to meet you," I add nicely. Ben keeps staring at her quite openly, I can tell the girl is getting annoyed by his curiosity. "Can you please wait outside while I leave my luggage in my room?" I give him a look so he understands that he's not needed here and that he's bothering my roommate. He nods and rolls his eyes. I hate it when he gets angry for stupid things like this. He's a great guy, but sometimes I feel like I'm dating a kid. "I'm sorry about that," I insist. I want to make a good impression on her. If we end up hating each other, this whole year will be a living hell, and I don't want that. I think I'm a likable person, if she's not an idiot, I'm pretty sure there won't be any problem between us.

"Your bodyguard, right?" she asks ironically. She's not smiling though, she stares at me with a straight face. I don't understand why she's acting like that.

"He's my boyfriend." I change the subject. "So, what's your name?"

"Paige," she says briefly not looking at me. She doesn't take her eyes off the iPod screen. If my mom was here she'd say that's kind of rude. I'm speaking with her, she shouldn't ignore me like that.

"What else? Don't you have a last name?" I ask staring at her. She suddenly looks at me again.

"Just Paige," she adds roughly.

"Okay, what is wrong with you?" I add angrily. I just said hi and tried to be nice, she's being an asshole.

"We don't need to be friends, we're just sharing the room. You're wrong if you think I'm not going to be your BFF just because you're my roommate. Life is not like a movie."

"Who said I want to be your friend?" I'm annoyed, I didn't imply that. I was just being well-mannered.

"Then, why so many questions?" She raises her voice. I guess I got lucky and Ben was right, the only psycho in campus is my roommate. "I'm sure you don't have trouble socializing with people, so go find another friend." She leaves her iPod on the bed and looks at me. "Besides, you look like the snobby cheerleader type," she adds with a sarcastic tone of voice. She's frowning at me. I can't believe what I'm hearing. I'm speechless.

"Wow! I got so lucky. You're rude and you judge people by their appearances. Perfect roommate!" I say ironically.

"I know I am right, that's why you're so annoyed. You're a cheerleader, right?"

"If I remember well you told me not to ask questions. We don't have to be friends, right? I won't answer your question, but I'll give you some advice. Be more open-minded, okay? You'll thank me some day." I grab my suitcase and I open the door to my bedroom as I look daggers at her. Just a few minutes ago I was enjoying this new experience, now I'm pissed because of that embittered person who'll be leaving next door for a long year. _This is fucking great!_ I think to myself. Suddenly I remember Ben is waiting for me, so I open the door again, avoiding eye contact with her. I leave the room and slam the door behind me.

"It didn't go well, am I right?" Ben asks.

"She's a rude weirdo," I answer trying to hide my anger.

"I heard that, cheerleader!" she shouts from inside the room. I roll my eyes, I'm about to fly off the handle.

"Just calm down, Em." He holds my hand, trying to comfort me, but failing miserably. I can't stand when people says those words when I'm pissed.

"I need to be alone. I'll call you later." He stares at me defiantly, he didn't take it very well. But he's got to understand that I want to be alone. He turns around and walks away not saying a word. I enter the room again, she's still listening to music while she nods her head. I walk in my room and suddenly my phone starts ringing.

"Hi, Spence," I say happily. I really needed to talk to one of my friends.

"Hi, Em. How are you adjusting to your new home?"

"Well… not so well. I'll tell you about it when we meet. How about you?"

"Hanna is a disaster," she says laughing. "Are you with Ben right now?"

"No, I'm not. Why?"

"Hanna and I are going to that café we talked about earlier. Do you want to join us?"

"Sure. Now?"

"Yes, we'll meet over there, okay? See you soon."

"Bye, Spence."

I'm glad she called, I didn't want to spend this afternoon shut away in my room. I grab my purse and I leave not saying a word to my weird roommate. I get to the café in only five minutes. Hanna and Spencer are sitting at a table, talking loudly to each other.

"Hi, girls," I say before sitting in the chair between the two of them.

"Hi, Em," they both say in unison. "How are you?" They both look at each other, they're clearly up to something.

"We're fine. What happened, Em? Where is Ben?" Hanna adds. They're staring at me, waiting for my answer. I guess they thought I had a fight with him.

"Ben is angry with me, he's so childish. But he will come to his senses." I nod at them. I know him very well, it's not the first time he does that.

"And your roommate? Did you meet her?" Spencer asks.

"Yep." I roll my eyes and sigh at the same time.

"Em, you're getting on my nerves. Stop being so mysterious!" Hanna says nervously.

"She's a jerk. I tried to be nice to her, but she's the rudest person I've ever known. She said that I looked like a cheerleader and that she didn't want to be my friend. I'm still shocked," I add raising my eyebrows.

"So, your roommate is a weirdo and a bitch. I'm sorry, Em," Spencer says trying to comfort me.

"Well, it's not the end of the world."

"I want to meet her," Hanna adds grinning at me. "I'm curious about her."

"You're sick, Hanna," I add smiling at her.

"I know, I can't help it," She laughs loudly. Spencer shakes her head. They're like night and day, and they're sharing an apartment. It's so funny.

After saying goodbye to my friends, I go to the cafeteria to have a quick dinner. Then I go back to my room. Luckily Paige is not there, so I don't have to deal with her bullshit. I lie on my bed and I call my mom so she doesn't get mad at me. She told me to call when I got here, but I forgot. After spending almost half an hour speaking with her, I turn on the TV while I write some e-mails. I put on my pajamas and I get into bed. I read a book until my eyes start closing. I set the alarm clock at 6 A.M. and I switch off the light. I'm exhausted, I need to rest, I know tomorrow will be a hectic day.

I hear the door opening and then closing. That noise wakes me up. I look at the phone, it's 3 A.M. I can't believe she just got here. I don't know where the hell she was, but if she stayed late the first day, I don't want to think what she'll be doing a few months from now. I close my eyes again and fall asleep.

I get up three hours later, ready to hit the shower. When I come out of the shower I dry my hair. I know I will wake her up with the sound of the hair dryer, but she should have thought that before going to bed so late. I admit I'm enjoying this moment, she deserves it, she treated me like shit yesterday. I walk out of the bathroom and I look at her, she's looking at me with a sleepy face.

"Are you done with the noise? If you also were a drummer I'd be the happiest person on Earth," she says ironically. Then she closes her eyes again and rolls over in bed.

"Good morning to you too," I add smiling at her. "Maybe if you didn't party so much things would be different," I add sarcastically.

She opens her eyes again to stare at me defiantly. "I didn't party, know-it-all."

I grab my things and I make my way to the cafeteria. I need to get my strength back, I need a really big breakfast. Once I fill my stomach I head towards my class. I take a seat next to a boy with long black hair and green eyes. By his looks, I'd say he's a metal head. He has soft shiny hair, I feel like touching it, but that would be really weird. He smiles at me, I think he noticed I was looking at his hair.

"I'm Jack," he says nicely.

"Emily." I smile back at him, he seems nice. The professor starts speaking, so we both pay attention. The time flies by, I'm really enjoying my first college experience. When the class is about to finish, five minutes before, Paige enters the classroom. The classroom is huge, I hope he doesn't sit around me. I look at her, and she smiles. _Am I dreaming? _She seems a different person when she's smiling. I admit her smile is beautiful. I smile back, but she frowns. She sits next to Jack, she doesn't even look at me.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," Jack says smiling at her.

"I can't believe you made it. Didn't you sleep at all? I'm falling asleep on my feet," she says laughing.

"I slept a few hours, had a shower and here I am. I know I'm unstoppable," he jokes.

I understand now why she smiled, she was smiling at him, not me. He must be her boyfriend. I can't help but think that I want to know more about her, even if she was rude to me. It's odd, but I admit I'm curious about her. Hanna was right, I suppose that means I'm sick too.

**Review, please. Gracias. ;)**

**To be continued…**


	2. Two Sides

**Hi, guys. Here's another chapter. I'm glad you liked the first chapter, I'll try to keep it interesting. This is a really short chapter, but I wanted to update so you don't get bored this weekend. ;)**

**You know I'm pretty busy, so I don't know when I'll have time to write more. Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Sazar: Thank you! Paige's character is a little bit different from the one on Past Memories, but I'm sure you'll love her.**

**indre: Thanks! Your enthusiasm made me laugh.**

**Nae10: Thanks! ;)**

**ov4arenko: Thank you for your nice words. You rule! :) Yeah, you're sick, for sure. :D**

**Jordan: I don't know how the other fics developed the plot, but I'm still thinking about Paige's background. :)**

**cici: Hahaha. I love your theories! She's not in a gang or band, I'm sure about that. But she's acting like that for a reason. Ben is nice, don't hate on him. xD Jack's hair is way longer than Caleb's, and really shiny, don't forget that. :D I love his look, even if he's a fictional character. :)**

**Del: You'll know Paige's story eventually. I'm glad you like the story. Who said both girls are straight? I didn't say that. xD I kind of liked Paily fights in this chapters. :D**

**Enjoy!**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 2: Two sides**_

**Paige's POV**

"Do you know her?" I ask Jack. He said goodbye to her when the class finished, they clearly know each other. He frowns.

"Who, Emily?" I nod at him. "Well, I just know her name. She was sitting next to me and she told me her name was Emily. We didn't speak more because the class started. She seems nice." I roll my eyes and Jack realizes I'm not happy.

"What's wrong? Do you know her?"

"She's my roommate."

"The girl that you think is a cheerleader 'cause you have a sixth sense?" he asks sarcastically. "I don't know why you keep doing that." He nods at me. He's trying to make me feel bad because of my behavior, but I didn't do anything wrong.

"What are you talking about?" I ask staring at him while I frown my forehead. I'm a little bit angry at him. He knows I can't change who I am.

"Your distant behavior. You're always getting away from everyone." I look down on the floor shamefully. I know he's right, but I don't want to deal with it. It's painful. "Do you remember the day we first met? You acted like a bitch," he adds laughing. I look up to smile at him.

"Yeah, I remember your pathetic face when I told you that your tough guy look didn't impress me at all." I can't help but laugh. That happened three years ago, in high school.

"You told me to go to hell with my intimate friend Satan." We both burst laughing, but he suddenly stops, his face gets serious. "I was trying to make conversation, I was being nice, and you got on the defensive, Paige. You fear meeting new people, so you act like a jerk as a defense mechanism. You've got to stop doing that. This is your opportunity to start fresh." I can't believe he's giving me a lecture. I'm looking at him shyly and I nod at him at the same time.

"It's not easy," I admit sadly.

"Give it a try. Step by step," he says putting his arm on my shoulder. "Will you?" he asks smirking.

"Yeah, I'll try to be an adorable person," I joke.

"You already are adorable, but only to me. Let's show the world how nice Paige McCullers is." He wraps his arms around me. He's teasing me, he knows I don't like being touched. He's very tall, so I can't do anything to avoid the hug. I end up laughing.

"Stop it, Jack!" He is laughing loudly. He finally pulls away with a huge grin on his face.

Suddenly Emily walks by us, making her way to her next class, which I have to attend too.

"Bye," Jack says unexpectedly. She turns to look at him, her long hair moving freely.

"Bye, Jack," she says smiling at him. I can tell he can't keep his eyes off her.

"You like her, am I right?" I ask lowering my voice.

He gives me a surprised look. "I don't know her, Paige. But I admit she's attractive." He smiles at me.

"Forget about her. She has a boyfriend."

"I'm not interested in her, Paige," he adds giving me his genuine smile.

"See you later, okay? I have class now." I enter the classroom after waving at Jack. I look around, deciding where to take a seat, and I realize she is looking at me. She's sitting alone, I approach doubtfully. Maybe I should take Jack's advice and try to be nice to people I don't know. I must be brave. I walk at a good pace until I get to the chair next to hers.

"So… your boyfriend?" I didn't expect she would make that question. She keeps staring at me, but I don't know what to say.

"No, Jack is my friend," I add categorically.

"Okay, I thought that… Well, you know, you were with him, laughing and…" she says hesitantly.

"No," I insist, this time more abruptly. _Why the hell do I keep doing that? It's like I can't control myself._

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you." She looks away, she's clearly averting eye contact. I don't know what to say, I open my mouth, but words don't come out of my mouth. She gives me a puzzled look. I can tell she knows that I want to say something, but my brain and mouth are not working. Suddenly the professor starts talking, doing me a favor. There's clearly something wrong with me.

After attending all the classes while I try to avoid Emily, I have lunch with Jack at the cafeteria. When I tell him about my "conversation" with Emily he smiles slightly. He doesn't laugh at me, though. He tries to comfort me and says that Rome was not built in a day, he insists that I've got to be patient.

**Emily's POV**

Was she trying to be nicer to me? I mean, she sat next to me, but our conversation was a little bit weird. It felt like she was trying to mend her ways, but she ended up acting weirdly. I could tell she was sorry by the look in her eyes. I don't know if she has problems socializing with people, or it's just me, but I don't want to spend all year having awkward moments with my roommate. I'm not the only one who's curious about her, though. Hanna and Spence keep texting me, they want to meet for dinner to learn everything about our strange conversation. Spencer knows a diner just a few blocks away from their apartment, and we're meeting there. However, before enjoying a tasty dinner I make my way to the library, I got a paper due tomorrow. It's my first day here and I already got homework. When I get to my dorm I open the door slowly, I don't know what to say to her if she's here. I get nervous, I don't understand why she has this effect on me. It's the first time I feel like this about a person. It's an odd feeling, though. I mean, I'm nervous, but I want to speak with her at the same time. I poke my head out of the door, and I sigh heavily when I see that she's not in here. I turn on the laptop and I start typing rapidly. After an hour, I save the document and I give a quick look at the clock computer. _Shit! _I'm going to be late. I know Spencer is punctual, she'll probably be waiting for me. I hope Hanna arrives in time or Spence will be pissed. I grab my phone and I dial her.

"Spence? Are you already there?" I ask nervously.

"Yeah. Why? Where are you?"

"I'm going to be late. I'm sorry, I lost track of time. Is Hanna with you?"

"Yeah, she is. Don't worry."

"I guess you're hungry, so don't wait for me."

"We're going to eat a hamburger. What about you?"

"The same, thanks. I'll be right there. Bye!"

I hang up, I grab my purse and I rush off without even turning off the computer. I walk at a fast pace, and I get there in record time.

"I'm sorry, guys. I just…" I start saying breathing heavily.

"It's okay, Em," Hanna interrupts me. I take a seat and make myself comfortable.

"Hi," Spencer adds showing me her smile. "I'm sure you'll like this place. I first came here last year when I visited campus, and food was really tasty. And I think we got lucky, because our waitress is so nice. She said that these nachos were on the house," she says pointing at the nachos. "Look, that's our waitress," she says pointing at her.

"No way." I can't believe she works here. Spencer is frowning at me. "Is that the nice waitress?" I ask staring at her. Spencer nods. I laugh. "Is she nice to everyone but me?" I can't help but being hurt, it seems like I'm the problem. She looks at our table and she gapes at me in amazement. She clearly didn't expect to see me here, because she drops all of the plates she's carrying, making a lot of noise. I go help her, I know I'm acting on impulse, but I am the reason why this has happened.

"Not now. I'm working," she says blushing. Everyone in the diner is looking at us, I can tell she doesn't like to be the centre of attention. We're both bending down, trying to clean up all the mess.

"You're gonna hurt yourself." She frowns. "I'm trying to help you." I'm getting annoyed as those words come out of my mouth.

"It's not necessary," she adds with her eyes fixated on the floor. She keeps clearing up the broken plates.

"What is wrong with you?" I lower my voice so we don't make a scen. I stare at her but she's not looking. "You were nice to my friends, but you're horrible to me. Why do you hate me?" I want to know the truth.

"I can't talk right now. I've got to work. I'm sorry," she says.

"I'm sick of you." I look at her defiantly, but she avoids eye contact. However, I can tell she is a little bit hurt. She stands up and makes her way to the kitchen, not saying a word. Hanna and Spencer are staring at me, they obviously want to know what just happened.

"Do you know the waitress?" Hanna asks once I sit down.

"That's Paige." I don't know what else to say. Now that I think about it, I should have said that that's the girl who is driving me crazy and making my life more interesting and exhausting at the same time.

"Your weird roommate? Are you sure we're talking about the same person?" Spencer gives me a puzzled look. I nod. "She was really nice to us, Em." She raises her eyebrows, she can't understand why she is so mean to me.

"I want to know why she's acting like that. I mean, I saw her laughing and having fun with a friend of hers, she seemed a different person. She was also nice to you. It's like she has two different personalities, depending on who she's talking to." I can't fully understand why this situation is upsetting me so much. I barely know her.

"I don't know why she keeps doing that, Em. Give her time," Hannah adds while she holds my hand.

Another waitress interrupts our conversation when she brings the hamburgers. I knew she wouldn't come to bring our dinner. I don't know if she's upset or she's ashamed of her behavior. I can't help but feel horrible. Maybe I was too harsh on her.

When we leave the diner, Hannah and Spencer walk me to my dorm room because it's already dark. I thank them, I'm lucky to have such good friends. I get into bed and grab a book. I'm going to stay awake till she gets here so we can talk. However, an hour later I fall asleep, I guess this first day left me exhausted.

**To be continued…**

**Let me know if you'd like to see any storyline. Thanks! ;)**


	3. Time Goes By

**Hi, guys. Here's another chapter. I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but I had no time. :(**

**You know I'm pretty busy, so I don't know when I'll have time to write more. Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Paily lover: Thanks!**

**cici: Hahaha. Paige is crazy, I agree. Be patient, she'll come to her senses.**

**Del: You're right about that. The love hate relationship is kinda funny, but that means they really care about each other. I'm glad you like the story.**

**glorymania: Thank you for your nice words! You made my day. :) I love that you have a lot of theories going on in your mind. Haha. I'll continue giving you hints so the story gets more interesting.**

**Cony: Jajaja. Todavía no diré si Paige es hetero o no. Puede que Aria aparezca en algún momento, pero no prometo nada. Alice no creo que vaya a aparecer, pero me resulta gracioso que os gustara tanto ese personaje ficticio. Espero que los personajes nuevos de este fic lleguen a apasionaros tanto como la persona de Alice. xD ¡Muchas gracias! Disfruta del capítulo. ;)**

**Enjoy!**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 3: Time goes by**_

**Paige's POV**

I met her a few days ago and she's already causing me trouble. I don't know why I got so nervous a week ago at the diner, but she clearly provoked my little accident with all those plates. I don't like interruptions when I'm working, and I knew something bad would happen the moment I saw her at my workplace. She was trying to help me, but I rejected her. It's the way I always behave when someone offers me help. I guess my family has a lot to do with that attitude. I blew the only chance I had to make things right with my roommate. I've never had a friend aside from Jack, and I've always thought that I wouldn't meet another person who caught my attention. Obviously I was dead wrong, she seems nice. However, she said that she was sick of me. I broke a record this time, I got her to hate me two days after meeting me. _Well done, Paige!_ I think to myself.

It's been a week since that fatal night. We're not speaking, she clearly doesn't feel like talking to me, and I'm not brave enough to deal with her. But this situation has to end, we share a dorm room and things are getting really awkward between us.

I take a look at my cellphone, it's 12 pm. I can't believe I fell asleep again. I had classes this morning, but I missed them again. If my parents knew I barely attend classes, they'd literally kill me. I get dressed as quickly as possible and I make my way to class. Once I get there the students are leaving the classroom. I got late, as usual. I will wait for Jack, he must be hungry and I didn't have breakfast, so we could go have lunch instead. Suddenly Emily walks out of the classroom, she gives me an angry look when she looks up. I approach her and I hold her arm. I have a feeling she's getting angrier, she's looking at me defiantly, but it's now or never.

"Don't touch me," she adds frowning at me.

"I just want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm stupid." I look at her, although I find it really difficult to maintain a steady gaze.

"Yes, you are," she adds angrily before walking away.

It's official, she hates me. I'll have to be the adorable person Jack thinks I am when I'm around her if I want her to forgive me. I look inside the classroom, it's empty, but Jack is not here. Change of plans. I'll grab a bite and I will go jogging afterwards. Running makes me feel alive, I especially love the endorphin rush that comes with it. Then I'll have a good shower and I'll head to the diner, today I work the afternoon shift.

"Your friend was here with a boy just a few minutes ago," Amanda says when I enter the kitchen.

"Hi to you too," I add jokingly. "What are you talking about?" She raises her eyebrows, she knows that question was not necessary. She's talking about Emily, and the boy must be her boyfriend. I don't understand why she came here if she really didn't want to see me. She seemed pissed at me, it doesn't make any sense.

"That brunette who yelled at you that night. Don't you remember, rock star?" she says teasing me. "Who is she? I want answers. You've been avoiding this conversation, and I want to know what is wrong with you two." I won't get rid of her if I don't answer to that awkward question.

"My roommate," I add briefly. I look down at the floor, making her clear that I don't want to talk about her with my workmate.

"Interesting…" she says mysteriously.

"What do you mean?" I stare at her, waiting for an answer.

"They were fighting, it looked like they were breaking up." I can't help but laugh when I see her eyes are sparkling. She likes gossip so much, she practically spends her shifts overhearing clients' conversations when she's bored.

"Couples fight, you know," I add smiling at her.

"He left and slammed the door on his way out. I'm pretty sure they were ending the relationship." She nods at me. "She ordered two brownies and made a phone call. Then she left the diner with a sad look on her face."

"I don't know why you work here, you could be a hell of an investigator," I joke. She laughs hardly. I see a group of girls staring at me not so nicely, so I approach their table. It's time to work.

**Emily's POV**

I walk in the classroom and I see Jack is sitting alone. I didn't really have the chance to talk to him since the day we met and he seems nice, so I approach him.

"Good morning!" he says happily. "Sorry." He takes his leather jacket so I can sit down.

"Hi. Are you always so punctual?" I add with a smile on my face.

"I don't like making people wait, and I apply that life philosophy when attending class too," he jokes. The teacher didn't get yet, so we keep speaking.

"That's very nice of you. I don't like unpunctual people."

"Are you talking about Paige?" he asks bringing the subject intentionally.

"No, I wasn't. And I'd rather not talk about her, if you don't mind."

"Okay, I'm sorry. I just wanted to know where she is. She likes disappearing, and I get worried sometimes. I got used to it after so many years." He smiles at me while he moves his shiny hair at the same time. I wonder how he manages to rock such beautiful hair. I guess that will have to wait until we speak a few times more.

"She was sleeping when I left the dorm," I say averting eye contact. I pause. I turn to face him. "You're right about the disappearing part. What's the deal with her? I mean, is she in trouble?" I'm a little bit concerned too. She spends all nights out, she goes to bed when the rest of us is about to wake up to go to class, and she's skipping classes since the first day.

"I don't know if you've realized that you're talking about her." He laughs and I look down trying to hide my smile. "She's not in trouble, she's just… Paige," he says after taking a break to describe her. "She's one of the most loyal person I've ever known. You must think that I'm lying, but I guarantee you she's funny, caring and adorable. She finds it hard to trust people, but once she's your friend, she'll do anything for you. She's really special, you just have to wait and see. However, I know she's giving you a hard time."

"She ignored me again that day at the diner, and I gave up," I add staring at him. He shakes his head.

"She wants to make things right. She told me so. She's just… wary when it comes to friendship. Be mean to her, it's the only way she'll try harder to get along with you."

"Are you saying that I should be rude to her?" I ask with a surprised look on my face.

"Yes. I know it may sound weird, but I know her very well."

After a really boring class, we both leave the classroom. Jack tells me that he must do something else, so I walk towards the next class on my own. I keep thinking about what Jack said, but I know there's got to be something else going on in Paige's life. I can't help but feel a little bit worried, even if I barely talked to her and she's being a complete jerk. _What is going on with me?_

Ben texted me, he wants to have lunch with me. Our relationship has been distant since our fight on the first day. I leave the classroom and I see her standing in the hall, she's staring at me. I ignore her, following Jack's instructions. I want her to know that two can play this game.

"So, where do you want to go?" he asks.

"I know a place that's not very far from here." This is ridiculous, I'm going to take him to the diner where Paige works. I don't know why I keep doing that. It's like I can't help it. I don't know if she'll have to work later, but I don't want to miss an opportunity to run into my mysterious roommate.

Once we sit at the only table that's not occupied, we order two sandwiches. Ben's face expression suddenly becomes very serious.

"What's the matter? Are you still mad at me because that fight? Come on!" I roll my eyes, I'm sick of this.

"Do you love me, Emily?" he asks, his eyes fixating on mine.

"Yeah, I do. Why are you asking?" I'm afraid of what he's going to say next. I feel like this invitation was a trap, something like an intervention.

"You don't want to spend time with me, I get the impression that you're distracted since we started college. It's like you have something else in mind. Besides, you seem more interested in other people."

I give him a puzzled look, he keeps staring at me. "Are you serious? I want to hang out with my friends too. I don't have to spend all day with my boyfriend. And who are you talking about?" He sighs.

"That boy with long hair. I saw both of you laughing today, and it's not the first time. You clearly bonded." He can't hide his anger, he's about to explode.

"First of all, I can talk to whoever I want to. Secondly, if me talking to new people means that I'm flirting with them, you have a huge problem." I'm raising my voice, people are looking at me, but I don't care. He keeps shaking his head.

The waitress brings our sandwiches doubtfully, she's afraid she's interrupting. Actually, we both stop speaking thanks to her interruption. We stay in silence for about five minutes, gulping the food we ordered and avoiding eye contact. When he finishes his fries, he stands up. "You've changed. You're not the same Emily that wants to be in a committed relationship." He leaves, he doesn't even give me the chance to defend myself.

He's being childish again. However, this time he's got a point. I've been distracted lately, and I guess this behavior has to do with the girl who is driving me crazy. He's always been a little bit paranoid and jealous, and I hate that. But he's right about something, I neglected the relationship, and he has the right to be pissed. He's wrong about Jack though. I suppose I must spend more time with him if I want to salvage this relationship. That doesn't mean I won't hang out with my friends or that I'll stop speaking with Jack. However, the whole Paige situation is killing me. It's worthless, I should stop trying to get along with her. She clearly desisted a long time ago.

I feel like eating something sweet, so I order brownies. I call Spencer, she's studying at the library, so I meet her there. We barely speak about my problems, but being with her makes me feel calmer. It's nice to be around her when I'm having a hard time. She's not the kind of person that comforts by speaking non-stop, but there's something about her that has the same effect without saying a word.

An hour later, I say goodbye to her and I make my way to the dorm. As is becoming the custom, Paige is not in her room. I open my door. I'm exhausted, I just want to lie on bed. I frown when I see there's something on my bed. It's a gift box with a golden bow and a note card on it that reads "I'm so sorry."

I open it, there are a lot of brownies inside the huge box. I can't help but smile. He knows I love brownies and he realized that he overreacted. He's finally acting like an adult.

**I love reviews, so keep them coming. ;) Thanks, guys. :)**

**To be continued…**


	4. Not a Party Girl

**Hi, guys. This is your gift from Santa, a chapter you were waiting for. :D I'm sorry for not updating sooner, it was a hectic weekend. :)**

**You know I'm pretty busy, so I don't know when I'll have time to write more. Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Sora Yagami: Thank you! You'll know a little bit more about Paige's life in this chapter, I know you are curious about it. Yeah, Paige is adorable, but she has problems socializing, and that makes her even more adorable. Emily is making her suffer, but she will come to her senses. :) I'm pretty sure you'll like this chapter. ¡Un saludo desde España! ¡Arriba México! :D**

**TheShawmeister: LOL. Are you talking about Ben? xD**

**Paily lover: I definitely enjoy teasing you. Hahaha. Thanks!**

**cici: Hahaha. I knew you'd like the 'I'm sorry' note. But Emily won't investigate the origin of the box or something like that. LOL That was so funny! xD Yes, Paige is single, but the admirer to get Emily jealous will have to wait. I have other ideas in my mind. :)**

**Nae10: Thanks! I'm glad you like the story.**

**MindFullofStories: Read this chapter to figure that out. ;)**

**joi: It's funny I understood your review even if I don't speak Portuguese. Actually, I just started learning Portuguese 'cause I'm going to Portugal for a few months. Obrigada!**

**Del: Thank you! It's getting interesting, and I know you'll like seeing Emily's new attitude towards Paige.**

**Cony: Jajaja. Paige es adorable, eso ya lo sabemos. ****Lo único que nos faltaba era un detalle que confirmara que es una buena persona. Me alegro de que te haya gustado el capítulo, pero estoy convencidísima de que te gustará el siguiente aún más. :D Lo de incluir a Alice en PLL… Es una pena que no tenga contactos para poder convencerles de que incluyan al personaje. LOL**

**glorymania: I haven't decided who's going to fall first yet, but I think it's obvious that they're both starting to feel some****thing for each other. They don't know yet, but something is definitely growing on them. There are more hints coming in this chapter! Let's see what you have to say about them. xD**

**EchoEveMorrow: If you are impatient, that means you're liking it. Thanks! :D So you want Emily fighting for her. LOL I don't know how I'm going to develop the story, but I'll take that in mind. :)**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 4: Not a party girl**_

**Paige's POV**

I've barely slept four hours, but I wake up and get ready for class. I'm sitting down on my bed, waiting for Emily to open her door and say something. I mean, those brownies must have changed the way she sees me. The door opens and I suddenly look at her, but she doesn't seem happy to see me.

"Emily…" I start saying, but she interrupts me.

"It's obvious you don't like me, we'll never be friends, so stop doing this, okay?" she says rudely. I look at her with my eyes wide open, I don't understand why she's being like that.

"I'm sorry for everything. But there's no need to be so rude," I add angrily.

"Oh, well, look who's talking," she adds ironically while she raises her eyebrows.

"Okay, forget about it," I add angrily. I stand up, I grab my purse and I slam the door as I leave the dorm.

I didn't expect Emily would be a tough nut to crack. I tried to apologize, but she ignored me. I apologized again, this time with some delicious brownies she must like according to Amanda. But she's still not talking to me, so I'll have to be more insistent. I didn't think I'd keep trying to beg for her forgiveness, but there's something about her that I like. The first time I saw her, I really thought she would be a superficial person, just like my classmates back in high school, but I guess I was wrong. I really hate shallow and fake people, and I used to be around them not a long time ago. And I hate people who act in their own self-interest and don't care about other people's feelings even more. If I want something and there are obstacles in my way, I keep trying till I get my goal. That's something I learnt the hard way in high school, and it helped me to get through that horrible stage of my life. I suppose that I'll have to keep trying, although I am pissed because of her behavior just a few minutes ago. She definitely has a strong character.

When I enter the classroom, Jack is already sitting at his seat.

"Wow! Am I dreaming? Is that Paige McCullers coming to class on time?" he jokes when I sit next to him. I laugh. "Look who's going to join us," he adds looking at the door and smiling at her.

"I hope she doesn't sit next to us, I don't want trouble." Jack frowns at me. He knows we're not exactly getting along, but he doesn't really know what has happened since the last time I talked to him. I mean, I'm trying hard, but she's not doing her part.

"Hi, Jack," she says happily as she sits next to him. Jack is the barrier between us. She stares at me, but I look away, I don't want to start another of our friendly conversations.

"Hi, Em," Jack adds happily. _Em? Really? _He must be kidding me. They barely know each other and it seems like they've been friends forever. His words bother me, I'm not sure why, but I can't help but think that might be jealousy.

"Are you going to the party at Mike's?"

"Is that the rich guy who lives in a mansion?" he says ironically. I don't know who that Mike is, but Jack told me that his parents are loaded, and he practically lives alone because they're always out of town on business. She nods at him. "I wasn't invited."

"It doesn't matter. You don't need an invitation, everybody can come to this party."

"Anyway, my sister is coming to visit me, so I can't go to that party. Maybe another time." He pauses and then she looks at me. "Maybe Paige wants to go," he adds smiling at me. I roll my eyes. He's trying to do it again, it's kind of exhausting.

"No. You know I'm not a party girl, Jack," I tell him. I give him an evil look.

"Come on, Paige," he says putting his arm on my shoulder.

"No way," I insist. Emily is looking at me out of the corner of her eye. I know she's paying attention to our conversation. Jack gives up when he sees my blazing glance. He turns his head to face Emily again.

"So, what happened with Ben? You told me that he was upset and…" It seems like they're already BFFs. What is going on with Jack? He knows everything about Emily's life. I guess Amanda was right about their relationship, they were fighting at the diner. Otherwise Jack wouldn't have asked about it.

"He apologized, so everything is okay between us." She has a happy tone in her voice. "Besides, he left me brownies on my bed. He won me over with that gesture," she says with a huge grin on her face. I can't help but laugh, and she instantly looks daggers at me. "What is wrong with you? Did I say something funny?" she asks staring at me.

"No. I just… It doesn't matter." So that's why she didn't say anything about my brownies. She thinks Ben was the one who left those in her bedroom. At least I know she liked my little gift. I'm not going to say anything, though.

After the end of the class Jack and I go grab a coffee. Our next class is in 30 minutes.

"What was all that about?" He's staring at me.

"I keep apologizing, but it's like talking to a wall." I sigh.

"Go to that party. I'm sure she wants you to go to that party."

"Okay, Jack, did you hear anything I just said?" I say raising my voice. "She doesn't want to have anything to do with me. Besides, I don't like parties. And I won't go there alone."

I don't know anybody besides Jack and Emily, and she clearly hates me. It doesn't make any sense to go that party.

I spend almost all afternoon lying on my bed, trying to make a decision. After thinking for a long time, I make a decision. It's pointless to stay all day in my room, I've got to do something. I have a quick shower, I get dressed and I drive to that guy's huge mansion. After parking my car, I make my way to the entrance door. The door is open, so I walk in that enormous living room. There's a really massive table with a lot of booze on it and the music is really loud. I suddenly remember why I really hate this kind of events. A lot of noise, too many wasted people, and all of them are trying to be the centre of attention. It's annoying. It's like everything I hate in one place, and besides Jack is not here to make this night more bearable. I look around and I see Emily talking to Ben. Actually, they're yelling at each other. I think they are fighting again. It doesn't look like it's going to end well. She didn't see me, she's busy dealing her boyfriend. I make my way to that huge table and I grab a beer. I sit down on the stairs, far away from the crowd, where no one can bother me. I take a sip while I keep looking at the couple. If loud music stopped right now, they'd be the centre of attention, because it seems they've raised their voices. Suddenly, I hear a voice that interrupts my thoughts.

"Paige, right?" a blonde girl asks. I look at her and she takes a seat next to me. I just wanted to be alone and enjoy my beer, but she managed to ruin my plan. Her face sure rings a bell, but I don't know who she really is.

"Yes, I am. Do I know you?" She smiles at me and she takes a sip of a fancy drink she's holding. I don't know what the hell she's drinking, but it sure looks like something a duchess would drink.

"I'm Hannah. You don't know me, but I've heard a lot about you." She gives me another jokey look.

"Cut to the chase, I'm not in the mood to play guessing games. Who the hell are you?"

"She was right about you, you have a bad temper." She laughs again. I'm starting to get mad at her. "I'm a friend of Emily's, your roommate." Okay, she was one of those girls that was at the diner that chaotic night. "You were looking at them, right?" She points at them, and I look away.

"No, I wasn't. I was enjoying my delicious beer, but a really annoying girl showed up and kept fucking around with me. What do you suggest I do to make her understand she's being a pain in the ass?" I raise my eyebrows.

"You're funny. I like you," she says laughing hardly. She suddenly looks at me with a serious expression. "Why do you treat her like that?" I take a deep breath before answering.

"I apologized. Besides, do you know how rude she is to me?" I look daggers at her. She doesn't know anything about me. It's like I'm the bad guy, and it really hurts me.

"Emily is not rude at all, I know her since she was a child." I shake my head, I won't make her change her mind about her "lovely" friend.

Her phone beeps, she takes a look at it and her face lights up.

"I'm sorry, I've got to go. My boyfriend is in town. Will you please take care of her? Give me your phone," she adds looking at me. "If something goes wrong, call me, please." I give her my phone and she types her number on it. "Thanks." She smiles at me and the blond girl approaches Emily and Ben, who are still fighting. She says something to Emily and leaves after waving at me again.

What does she expect from me? I mean, Emily is a grown-up, she doesn't need a babysitter. Besides, if she really needed anything, I'm sure she wouldn't accept my help. I stand up and go get another beer, and I sit down at the same place. Suddenly I see Ben is leaving with a few friends. Emily is not happy at all, I suppose they didn't solve their problems. All of a sudden she approaches the table and starts drinking shots non-stop. I keep looking at her, but she doesn't realize I'm right here. She's already drunk, she has no coordination, but she keeps drinking. I should stop her, but I don't want to meddle. If she wants to get drunk, that's her problem. A tall boy approaches her and starts touching her. He's obviously taking advantage of her drunkenness. I can't remain idle, I've got to stop this nonsense. I stand up and make my way towards them.

"Hey, you!" I touch his shoulder, and he turns around to look at me. He's not happy to see me, I guess I'm ruining his perfect plan. Emily gives me a surprise look. I don't know if she's happy to see me, but she should be glad that I'm here.

"What do you want?" he says annoyingly.

"Leave her alone. Don't you see she's drunk? What kind of idiot are you?"

"This is none of your business, freak," he adds angrily.

"Get lost!" I add giving him a killing look. He grabs a beer and walks away as he mumbles to himself. Emily is about to take another sip of the beer, but I take it away from her. "Let's go," I say seriously. I hold her tightly, taking her outside. I want to drive her home before she makes more mistakes. I open the co-driver door and she gets inside, she doesn't even open her mouth to complain about my attitude. I fasten her seat belt, she's so drunk that she is not able to do that either. I start my car, there's silence around us.

"I didn't know you were coming. I thought you didn't like parties," she adds breaking the silence.

"I don't, but here I am," I say briefly. I won't give explanations as to why I decided to go to that horrible party.

"I know it was you." I turn to look at her and she smiles at me. "I'm talking about the brownies." I turn my head to keep an eye on the road, avoiding to look her in the eye. "Thank you... for everything." She puts her hand on my knee.

"You're welcome," I add still looking straight ahead so she doesn't realize I'm flushing.

"I guess Jack was right. You seem a good person, but you're shy. Am I right?" I nod at her. I'm kind of nervous. I'm glad we're already at campus, 'cause I'm feeling awkward. I park my car and I help her get out of the car. She holds on me so she doesn't fall until we got to our dorm. I help her put her in bed, taking off her boots and jacket. When I'm covering herself she surprises me with a hug. I don't know where to put my arms. It's so akward. I didn't see this coming.

"Thank you," she adds before she kisses my cheek. I instantly flush, I'm not used to this kind of affectionate gestures.

"Good night," I say stuttering. She smiles at me and closes her eyes. I didn't expect this night would end up like this.

**Happy holidays!**

**I love reviews, tell me what you think. ;) Thanks, guys. :)**

**To be continued…**


	5. MIA

**Hi, guys. I had time to update the story, so here it is. :)**

**You know I'm pretty busy, so I don't know when I'll have time to write more. Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Sazar: Paige is always there for her, no matter what. :)**

**TheShawmeister: It was obvious those brownies were not Ben's idea. :D It's getting more interesting, but let's see what happens now. This chapter is all about Emily. I hope you like it.**

**Del: Thank you for your nice words! We all know why Paige decided to go to that party, right? xD I don't know if we can call them friends yet, but they care for each other, sure. :) Have a nice day!**

**nicole: This chapter might be a little frustrating from the reader perspective, but I assure you next chapter will be more interesting. Thanks. :)**

**Nae10: Thanks! I'm glad you loved this last chapter. I enjoyed writing it, that's for sure. :)**

**Paily lover: Batman. Hahaha. Hanna and Paige will become friends. And Spencer too, I guess. They're all meant to be together. ;)**

**Cony: Me alegro de que te gustara mi regalo. xD Después de tantas discusiones creo que os merecíais un capítulo más feliz. Al menos Emily ya sabe que Paige es un cielo de persona, y eso es lo más importante. Este capítulo es de transición, pero es algo necesario para la continuación de la trama. Un abrazo. :)**

**MindFullofStories: You'll have to read this chapter to figure that out. But I'll just say that Emily was very very drunk. xD Paige will meet Spencer, of course. Thanks! ;)**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 5: MIA**_

**Emily's POV**

'I won't drink alcohol anymore' is the first thought that comes to my mind when I open my sleepy eyes. The sun light hurts my eyes. I usually love the feeling of the sun's rays warming me, but I guess the alcohol made me cranky and it really bothers me. Typical me. I mean, I barely drink, but when I do, it's like a friggin' nightmare the next day. My tolerance to alcohol has never been too high. I don't remember barely anything that happened last night, and I hate that. Besides, I always have a feeling that I somehow screwed up and I don't know if I have to apologize to somebody for my tipsiness. My friends say that I'm the kind of funny drunk, that they have a great time with me when I'm a little bit tipsy, but I'm not so sure of that. The only thing I know is that I feel horrible, both emotionally and physically. Thank goodness it's Saturday and I can stay in bed all day. Always look on the bright side of life, that's my motto.

I try to open my heavy tired eyes to see what time it is, and I see something strange on my bedside table. It's 12 pm and there's a big bottle of water and two huge brownies on it. There's also a note attached to the bottle that says 'Hydrate and eat!'. My short-term memory is not working at all. I frown as I try to remember what I did last night. I remember little from last night. I drank a lot, that's for sure, but, what else happened? Suddenly small memories come to mind. Party, Hanna, brownies, Ben… Oh, God, Paige! All of a sudden my heart starts racing, my hands are shaking. I suppose these are alcohol effects, right? I'm nervous, but I don't know why. Well, yeah, I know why I'm a nervous wreck right now. I don't think it has anything to do with the amount of alcohol in my organism. I recall being with her last night, but I don't remember what we talked about. I'm hangover, but I feel even worse because I want to know if I scared her. She's shy, and I guess I was talking nonsense and making her feel uncomfortable. It's funny that I don't feel bad because my relationship with Ben ended, however I feel awful because I might screw things up with Paige.

I grab my phone and I call Hanna. The last thing I remember is being with her at a stupid party, but I don't remember how I got here last night. Was it Paige? But she didn't go to that party, did she? I sigh and roll my eyes while waiting my friend to answer her phone. I'm getting impatient, I want answers, I need them right now. She doesn't pick up. I must be the unluckiest people on earth, 'cause Hanna always picks up her phone.

I stand up, still a little bit dizzy, and I knock her door. I'm pretty sure she's not inside her room, but at least I've got to try.

"Paige… are you there?" I take a deep breath and knock again. "Paige." Still no answer. I open the door slowly, although I know she's not in there. Her bed is made up, everything is neat, and it smells great. I approach her closet and I open it to see what's inside. I know I shouldn't do it, but I can't help it. Everything about her makes me curious. Almost all her clothing is black, and it is organized by color. I recognize her smell when I come closer to sniff on one of her black trousers. Suddenly my phone rings and I get a terrible fright. I was so absorbed in smelling her clothes that I didn't realize what I was really doing. _What the fuck is wrong with me? That was really weird, Fields! _I quickly close the closet door and I hurry through my room. When I'm about to grab my phone I trip over my boot and fall hitting my head on the bed leg. I touch my head, I'm bleeding. I make my way to the bathroom, with both my hands on my head. I look at the mirror, I've got a little dash next to my left eye. Luckily, it's not bleeding a lot. I clean the wound and I look at the mirror again. It's not bleeding, but it hurts like hell. I put a band aid on the wound and I shake my head. I was lucky I didn't damage my eye. I can't help but laugh, I am a total disaster. I walk into my room again, I grab my phone and I see it was Hanna calling. I dial her number and wait.

"Hi, Em. Where were you? I called you."

"I was lying on the floor," I add laughing.

"Why? Is your back hurting? Spence once told me doing that is really good if you suffer from back pain." It's funny that she quotes Spencer, even if she's always saying that she's a nerd.

"No, I'm not. I fell on the floor when I was about to answer your phone call." I laugh again.

"Oh, God! Are you okay?" She's worried, but I can't help but laugh.

"I'm okay. It's nothing," I lie. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you. Are you free to meet?"

"I'm with Caleb right now. Well, he's with Spencer. They're talking about nerdy stuff, so I'm sure he doesn't mind if I grab a coffee with you.

"Caleb? Is he in town?" I ask.

"I told you that he was coming. At the party. Remember?" I don't remember that, but I lie.

"Yeah, sure."

"So, the diner where Paige works in 30 minutes?" She laughs.

I hesitate before answering. "Well… yeah, okay." I don't know if she'll be working, and I don't know what the hell I will say to her. Anyway, I need to speak with her.

I say goodbye to Hanna and I jump in the shower. I don't want to smell of alcohol, and a shower will help my headache. I get out of the shower and I get dressed. The wound doesn't look bad, so I take the band aid off. It's not swollen, but I know Hanna will notice the wound. I drink almost half bottle of water and I devour the tasty brownies Paige left on my bedside table. I don't want to feel dizzy because of the alcohol that is still running through my veins. I brush my teeth, grab my purse and leave the dorm. I can't stop thinking about Paige on my way there. I still don't know what the hell happened last night, but the bottle of water and the brownies prove that she's adorable. I can't believe what I'm thinking right now, but there are not enough words to describe her.

The first thing I do when I open the door is see if she's working today. Sadly, she's not there, so our conversation will have to wait. However, Hanna is already seating at a table and waving at me.

"Oh… my… God! What the hell happened to you?" she asks pointing at my wound, the bag under my eyes and my zombie face.

"Actually, I came here to get some answers," I joke. She gives me a surprised look. I take a seat and order coffee. I'm not hungry after eating the brownies, but I need caffeine so badly.

"What do you mean?" She raises her eyebrows and stops eating the cheesecake she ordered.

"I drank too much and I barely remember anything from last night." She raises her eyebrows, she didn't see it coming.

"I can't help you with that, Em. I left the party to meet Caleb."

"Just tell me everything that happened before you left. I only know that I was with you, then I had a fight with Ben and I also remember talking to Paige. I'm so confused." She takes a deep breath and nod at me.

"Okay, Em. You were fighting with Ben, but I don't know why. It seemed that you were breaking up, but I'm not sure about that." I nod at her. She pauses to stare at me. "Caleb texted me when I was talking to Paige, and…" I interrupt her when I hear her name.

"Paige? You were talking to Paige?" I ask frowning my forehead. "Why? She was there?" I must be so drunk, because I don't remember seeing her at that party. Besides, she said she doesn't like parties. When I saw her 'little gift" this morning, I thought that she was in her room when I got to the dorm in such bad condition. But I didn't know that she finally decided to go to the party. Why on earth would she go if she hates parties? I'm really confused.

"When you were talking, actually yelling, to Ben, I decided to go have a drink and I saw her. She was sitting alone on the stairs, drinking a beer and giving everybody a scornful look. That wasn't her place, I could tell she wasn't having fun, so I approached her, and we talked." It sounds like Paige. She didn't belong in at that party, and that makes me wonder why she finally decided to go.

"About?" I ask, although I'm pretty sure who they talked about.

"You, Em. I told her that she was wrong about you. She said that you were being mean to her. Crazy, right?" She says raising her voice and shaking her head.

"Well… let's just say I've been ignoring her after she apologized to me," I admit. Hanna is looking at me puzzled. The adorable Emily has an evil side, surprise!

"Then I told her to take care of you. I also gave her my number so she could call me if something bad happened."

"Did she call you?"

"No, Em. I would have stayed if I knew you'd end up like this," she says pointing at my hobo look.

"Then I suppose she drove me home, 'cause I doubt I could walk. It's the only logical explanation." Hanna nods at me.

"She's way nicer than you thought, Em." Hanna giggles. If my suspicions are right, she's not only nice, she's my guardian angel.

"Oh, God! I wonder what I said to her. You know… Alcohol and I don't get along," I say shamefully, covering my eyes with both hands.

Hanna bursts laughing, she knows what I'm talking about.

"I know, Em. You're the funniest drunk I know. If you combine your tipsiness with Paige's awkwardness and weirdness… Boom!" She keeps laughing loudly.

"Shut up. I'm really worried, Hanna. This is not a joke."

"I'm sorry. You've got to admit it's funny. I would have paid to see that," she teases me. She pauses and her face expression gets serious. "Just talk to her, Em."

"How? She wasn't in her room, and I don't know her phone number. Besides, she's always disappearing, she has a double life or something. I don't know her at all. I don't know where to find her."

"What about that metalhead who's a friend of hers?"

"You're right. Thanks!" I add as I hug her. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, I know, I'm awesome," she teases me. "Just go call him, the coffee is on me. Besides, I want to get home before Spencer bores my boyfriend with her 'geeky theories'," she adds smiling at me.

I stand up and give her another hug.

"Thanks for everything. Say hello to Caleb. Bye, Han," I say cheerfully.

Once I'm outside, I grab my phone and dial Jack's number. I hope he answers, otherwise I might have a heart attack.

"Hi, Emily. What's up?" he says happily.

"Hi, Jack. Can I ask you a favor?" I ask, getting straight to the point. I don't have time to waste.

"Sure. What's going on? You seem nervous." He's right.

"I can't find Paige and I don't have her number. Do you where she is?"

"Well… good luck with that. She just told me that she won't be back until Monday. She didn't say why, and I didn't ask. I don't know if she's out of town or she just wants to be alone. There's no point in asking her, right?" he jokes.

"Monday?" I yell. "Give me her phone, I can't wait till Monday."

"Is it really that urgent? Em, she won't…" he starts saying before I interrupt him.

"Jack, please, just give me her number," I insist.

I call her after hanging up. She doesn't pick up, Jack was right. I keep calling non-stop. I know she must think I'm annoying, but I'm kind of desperate. Not knowing what I said is killing me. I text her, saying that it's me and that we need to talk asap.

Suddenly I got a text.

"I can't right now. I'm sorry." Brief and concise, just like her.

I messed it up again. I obviously said something that made her want to leave and not see me. Fucking great, Fields!

**I love reviews, tell me what you think. ;) Thanks, guys. :)**

**To be continued…**


	6. Worth the Wait

**Hi, guys. I just couldn't stop writing, so I had to publish this chapter. :)**

**You know I'm pretty busy, so I don't know when I'll have time to write more. Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Nae 10: Thanks! Clumsy Emily was funny, right? I'm glad you liked the chapter. Next chapter is more about Paige and the beginning of the conversation all of you were waiting for. :)**

**cici: Yeah, you're right. Even though it was Emily's chapter, she couldn't stop thinking about Paige and it's funny that Paige is driving her crazy without her knowing it. I had already thought about McHastings interaction, but now that you mention it, I guess there'll be a conversation between the two of them shortly.**

**Cony: Jajaja. Me alegro de que te gustara la versión histérica de Emily. En este capítulo se explica dónde estaba Paige, pero tendréis que esperar más para saber más sobre su vida misteriosa. No es la Baticueva. LOL Esta vez he tenido tiempo para actualizar el fic, espero hacerlo antes del fin de año, y si no, pues… Feliz año nuevo. ;)**

**DeL: I knew you'd like Paige's little gift before disappearing. I know you're anxious to know about Paige's life, so this chapter focuses on explaining that. There are more details about her 'secret life' coming up, though. ;) Thank you!**

**Paily lover: Emily being so nervous was kinda comical. You'll know a little bit more about Paige's past, although I won't give all the details, of course. xD You almost guessed what happened with Paige. ;)**

**Enjoy! :D**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 6: Worth the wait**_

**Paige's POV**

When I started college a few weeks ago, I didn't think I'd be coming home so soon. Actually, I avoid my family whenever I can. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that they always come with trouble. When my sister called from the hospital this morning, I almost had a breakdown. Luckily, it's nothing. I mean, my grandmother broke his leg, but it's not anything serious. I love my grandmother more than anything, and when my sister told me that she was in the hospital, I got really nervous. When everything fell into pieces a few years ago, she opened the doors of her house. We lived there for a while, and she basically raised me. I can't thank her enough for being so kind to us. That's why I came here to pay her a visit, because she's the most important person in my life.

After talking to her, I give her a kiss and I leave the room. She's tired, she needs to rest. Besides, I won't leave until Monday, so I will come to visit her more than once. I close the door and I see Jess waving at me. She's sitting in the waiting room while drinking one of those strange infusions she likes so much. Yeah, she's that weird, she can't drink coffee like everybody else, she loves being different. Sometimes I doubt if she's my sister. We're completely different. I love reading, she hates it. She loves partying, I hate it - not yesterday, though -. She's the most open person I know, and I'm shy. Well, I wasn't so shy before all that happened, but I guess it made me become the person I am right now. It's weird that she didn't change at all, but I suppose that has to do with her being older. I was 15 when the drastic change in our lifes happened, I was so vulnerable. She was already in college, and it didn't affect her so much. She's tougher than people think, appearances are deceptive.

"Paigey!" She stands up to hug me, making strange movement. I'm way taller than she is, even if I'm the youngest of three siblings.

"Don't call me that, Jess. I'm not a little kid anymore," I complain. She chuckles, she enjoys teasing me.

"So… how is she? You're her favorite granddaughter, I'm sure she told you the truth." I smile, I know she's right, and I love it.

"She was exhausted, but she said that she wasn't in pain, so she's great." I pause. "You scared the hell outta me, Jess." She nods at me.

"I know that. But I knew you would like to see her, despite of the long journey."

"Yeah, thanks," I admit. When she said the words 'grandma' and 'hospital' in the same sentence, I got paralyzed. Once she explained everything, I was able to catch my breath and the trip was not hard at all. Actually, a change of scene was exciting.

"So, how is college life like?" she asks smirking.

"Good," I say briefly. I hope she gets the message and doesn't start another one of her interrogations.

Suddenly my phone rings. I let it ring, but it keeps ringing non-stop. I don't know who is calling me, but it's weird, because Jack knows I won't be available this weekend. I look at the screen, unknown number.

"Anyone interesting?" she asks staring at me with a wide smile on her face. She knows how much I hate talking about this, basically because there's never anything to talk about. I don't understand why she keeps asking if she knows I feel uncomfortable giving details about my non-existent love life. If she wasn't my sister I'd have told her to go to hell a long time ago.

"Nop," I add not giving more information. Actually, there's nothing to talk about that matter.

The phone vibrates, it's a text. I open my eyes widely when I see who's texting me. I don't know what is wrong with her, but she clearly wants to talk to me. I didn't give her my number, maybe it was Jack. Anyway, this is really odd.

"Okay, who is that, Paigey? That person is clearly interested in you. Is that weird boy?"

"No, it's not Jack. And he's not weird. Maybe you're the weird one, right?" I ask ironically. She laughs at me.

"Just send him a text so he doesn't keep calling," she says joking.

I send her a text, I can't talk to her right now. It's physically impossible to meet her right now. I'm miles away from where she is. She'll have to wait, there's nothing to talk about either.

"And what about you?" I ask after putting the phone in my bag. She asked me a lot of personal questions, it's my turn now.

"Nothing relevant. Relationships are not my thing, you know." She smirks because she knows I'm not really interested in her love life, it's just me teasing. I smile back at her. "And John?" John is my oldest brother, I'd say he's the perfect son. He's married and has two daughters. He's always working.

"Where do you think he is?" she says sarcastically. The answer is obvious, he must be working.

"Well… if he wasn't so hard-working our family's future would have changed a lot, so…" I look at her and she's nodding at me.

"Yes, I'll always be so grateful to him," Jess adds.

My phone is ringing again, Emily is calling. Maybe something bad happened, so I guess I should pick up.

"Just do it, he's willing to talk to you." I shake my head, and she laughs.

I stand up and walk towards the lobby, where Jess can't hear the conversation. I don't know what to say to her, and I don't want Jess realizing I'm nervous. I slide the green button, and I wait for her to pick up. I don't have to wait a lot of time, though.

"Are you okay?" I ask when I hear her voice.

"Hi," she says happily. "Well… I'm hangover, but I'm fine. Where are you?"

"I'm… uh… home. Family stuff…" I say nervously.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah."

"You don't like talking on the phone, right?" I can tell she's smiling.

"Nop." I really hate it. I want to make an effort, but it's really hard.

"Okay. So… last night… is everything okay between us?" She's nervous, I can tell it by the tone of her voice.

"Mom is here, Paigey!" Jess shouts.

"I'm sorry, Emily. I've got to go. Everything is okay," I add quickly. I don't know why she's so worried about last night. Maybe she noticed that I was blushing and that there were awkward moments, I mean the hug and the good night kiss. Now that I think of it, that's practically impossible, she was so wasted.

"Okay." She's not happy, I can feel it. But this conversation will have to wait.

Once I hung up my mom approaches to hug me while Jess keeps winking at me. I can't help but laugh.

The weekend flies by, and I guess that's good, because that means that I'm having a good time. My weekend consists of visiting my grandma a few times, hanging out with my sister and mom and visiting my nieces. They are getting so big that I suddenly feel older. I guess that's good, because I'm an adult. Those horrible high school years are over. College feels good, and I'll probably make new friends. For the first time in my life, I may have female friends.

**Emily's POV**

It's finally Monday, but Paige didn't get here yet. This morning, after going to class, I talked to Jack. Obviously, I asked about her, he just smiled at me and said that he didn't know where she was. Then he said that I should call her, although she doesn't like talking on the phone. I know that she hates it, so I appreciate her calling the other day even more. However, she hung up on me when I asked about the other night. She used an excuse to avoid the conversation, so whatever I said to her that night must have been really awkward. I won't call her anymore, though. I don't want to seem like a stalker. I knew she wouldn't attend class this morning. She barely goes to class, and today of course was no exception. However, I was hoping she would enter the classroom late, just like she always do. I still don't understand how she thinks she's going to pass the upcoming exams if she keeps doing that. After having lunch I go jogging, I have a quick shower and I see a movie before having dinner.

It's 11 pm, I'm reading on my bed and I won't go to sleep until she gets here. She said she'd be back today, so I'll wait for her. If I don't talk to her today I might get crazy. My eyes are closing, I'm fighting sleep, but I won't give up. Suddenly I hear the door closing without making any noise. That must be her. I jump out of bed and open my bedroom door, making a loud noise. I obviously scared her, 'cause she's staring at me with a frightened look.

"What the hell? Are you crazy? You scared the crap outta me!" she shouts looking surprised. Maybe I made a lot of noise, it's nearly 1 am. She has the right to me mad at me.

"Hi," I say happily. That's the only thing that comes out of my mouth. I've been waiting for this moment since the day she left, so I can't help but feel relieved that she's finally here. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, even if the hardest part is about to happen in a few minutes.

"Oh, God!" She puts her right hand on her chest, I clearly scared her. "What are you doing awake?"

"I was reading," I say. I wasn't. Actually, I was, but I don't want to tell her that I was waiting for her. I don't want her to think I'm a psycho. She frowns her forehead. That was weird even for her, and she's one of the weirdest person I've ever known. Thank God she didn't see me sniffing on her clothes, otherwise I'd be in a mental hospital right now. I don't understand what is wrong with me. I've never cared what people think about me, but oddly, I really care what she thinks about me. I guess that's why I'm so nervous.

"I'm sorry. That was rude," she apologizes while she looks at me. If she keeps giving me that sad look I won't be able to stop myself from hugging her. I guess she read my mind, because suddenly her face expression changes. "I'm really tired, Emily. I had a long journey and I had to work at the diner, so I need to rest." She's exhausted, I can see it in her big brown eyes, but I won't give up so easily.

"Just five minutes, please," I beg her. She rolls her eyes and nods at me with a slight smile on her face.

"Okay, only because it's you," she teases me. She sits on her bed and I sit down next to her. "I think I know what you want to talk about," she admits before looking away. She's one of the shiest person on earth, she barely looked me in the eye since the day I met her. I can tell she has trust issues, that would explain her odd behavior.

"Did I do something wrong? I mean, did I make you feel uncomfortable?" She gives me a surprised look.

"No," she says staring at me. "What do you mean?"

"First of all, I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did for me. Secondly, I don't remember anything, and I know I am prone to do stupid things when I'm drunk, so… I thought you were avoiding me." I can't feel but blush, and I don't understand why.

"First of all, apologies accepted," she says seriously. "Secondly, I just brought you here, like any other decent human being would do. You were tipsy and you were being more affectionate than I remember, but you don't have to apologize." My heart starts racing, what is she trying to tell me?

"Oh, God… uh… sorry, Paige!" I say nervously. "I'm sorry if I made you feel…" I start saying, but she interrupts me.

"It's okay, Emily. I'm not used to that kind of affectionate gestures, you know, I'm so weird," she jokes. "I didn't expect you to hug me and give me a kiss on my cheek, but you were drunk. Alcohol can do that to you." She's blushing.

"Are you sure?" She nods at me, I'm already feeling better. Jack was right, she's super adorable. "By the way, what were you doing at that party?" I ask changing the subject.

"Jack was with her sister and I had nothing else to do. Besides, free beer," she says looking down. She seems nervous. "Although there was one girl at that party that insisted on drinking any alcoholic beverage inside that house," she says smiling.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I tease her. "Thanks again, Paige," I say as I stand up. "I'm letting you sleep, you need it. Good night," I add while I open my bedroom door. "By the way, you should smile more often. You have a beautiful smile." She smiles at me again. I wasn't lying, her smile is mesmerizing.

"Night, Emily."

Once inside my room, I look myself in the mirror and I see a happy girl with a wide smile on my face. She has that effect on me. I can't deny I'm glad I met this strange girl who makes me feel this way.

**I love reviews, tell me what you think. ;) Thanks, guys. :)**

**To be continued…**


	7. Surprise

**Good afternoon, guys. I hope you like this chapter, 'cause writing it was so fun. :)**

**I don't know when I'll have time to write more, but I guess I'll publish next chapter in 2013. :D Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Sora Yagami: Sip, soy española, y creo que se nota en mi inglés. :D Spencer VS Paige, eso será bestial, ya verás. :D En este capítulo revelo un pequeño detalle más de Paige, pero no quiero desvelar todo, así os vais enganchando a la historia. :D Sip, es algo relacionado con su familia.**

**Emily ya sabe lo que Paige hizo en la fiesta, y eso le ha hecho verla con otros ojos. En resumen, que cada vez le va gustando más, aunque no todo será tan fácil. Un abrazo. ;)**

**Nae10: Yep, Em is already having feelings for her, but she didn't realize yet. But she definitely knows something is happening. Tease, me? No way! LOL**

**Cony: Son adorables. :D Pronto sabréis más cosas de la familia de Paige, poquito a poco. :) Me gusta escribir esos momentos de timidez entre ellas, pero también está bien que la relación vaya avanzando y vayan cogiendo confianza. Feliz año!**

**Cici: Hahaha. I'm glad I make your mornings more bearable. Thanks! Paige's past is going to make things a little bit difficult, but everything is going to work out eventually. Once Paige starts to trust Emily there will be more happy moments between them. Have a nice day!**

**Del: Thank you! They both have trust issues, so they will have to work through their differences in order to become friends. As for Paige having a female friend, I meant that she only has one friend, Jack. Jack is her only friend, so becoming friends with Emily is a huge step for her, due to her past and everything. :) Jess is awesome. :D**

**Paily lover: Her dad is not dead. You'll know more about him in upcoming chapters. I would love to update everyday, but I would need 48 hour days. xD**

**PrettyLittleLiarpaily: Thanks! I'm glad you like it. :)**

**glorymania: I can assure you Jack is a nice guy. He has no hidden agenda, in case you're wondering that. xD Don't worry about that. :) You didn't see coming Paige's large family, right? It's like the Brady Bunch. Hahaha. I know I focused on Paige's story, but Emily has a past too. I will focus on that in upcoming episodes. I appreciate you saying that my last fanfic and this one are so different. I guess that's good, so thanks for your nice words. I just hope you enjoy this story as much as the previous one. Have a nice day!**

**Enjoy! :D**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 7: Surprise**_

**Paige's POV**

I wake up at 6 am after sleeping a few hours. No, I'm not a vampire, it's just that my body needs less hours to function. I get dressed and go out for a jog. I think jogging has always been the best way to the start day. And the hot shower that follows it it's the greatest pleasure on earth. Besides, it's healthy and it's great to loosen up. And it comes in handy when I need to clear to mind.

Once I get to the dorm after a run, I hit the shower and go have a huge breakfast. Emily is not at the dorm, I guess she went to class. I have no intention of going, though. It would be a huge waste of time considering it's really sunny outside. I grab a book and I make my way to campus, I want to lie on the grass. A cup of coffee, a book and my black plastic frame Ray-Ban sunglasses are my only companions. Suddenly, a phone call interrupts my happy moment. I look at the screen and I can't believe that he's actually calling me. He's in campus, he always turns up unannounced, even if he knows I hate it. Just after hanging up the phone, I hear a horn. I stand up really fast and I approach his car. He only wants to buy me coffee, so I guess I'll be done by 30 minutes. I get into the car and we both leave. The day started great, I hope he doesn't kill my mood.

I was lucky, 30 minutes after getting into the car, I'm already laying on the grass again. It was not as hard as I thought it would be. He was in a good mood, and I really appreciate it. I wasn't in the mood to fight. I open my book again, but a familiar voice interrupts my reading.

"Wow! You're incredible," Jack adds smiling at me.

"Hi to you too," I joke.

"I can't believe you're here while everybody else is being responsible. Aren't you going to have the decency to go to class anytime soon?"

"I'm enjoying life. I've got everything under control. Don't worry, my friend," I say teasing him. "Are you going to join me or are you going to keep telling me off?" He frowns for a moment, and he smirks at me when he sees my smile. He lays next to me and takes his iPod from his pocket.

"Do you want to listen to some music or are you going to be a nerd the rest of your life?" he asks as he offers me an earphone.

"Okay. I know you won't stop interrupting me. So, I have no other choice," I add ironically.

Music, the sun warming my body and Jack humming to every song are the only things I need to be happy right now. Laying here next to my best friend feels so great that time flies. I hear a friendly voice talking to us, but it takes a brief time to realize she's actually talking to us. I slowly open my eyes and I lift my sunglasses up to see the girl that's standing in front of us. She's smiling at us, and two huge dimples start to show on her face.

"Hi," I say with a sleepy voice. Jack gives her a smile while he says hi.

"Look at you two. You look like two rock stars with a hangover." She grins at us. Her face expression becomes serious. "So, when are you going to go to class? We have an exam in two days, and you didn't even show up," she adds frowning her forehead.

"Did the two of you decide to give me a lecture today?" I ask ironically. "I'll ace that exam," I add cockily.

"That's impossible," Jack adds staring at me. "I know you're the most clever person I know, but that Chemistry exam really scares me." I giggle. He gets worried about anything, it doesn't match with his tough guy look.

"You'll see," I add with a smirk on my face. Emily smiles at me.

"So, maybe we could have lunch later," Emily says hesitantly. I don't know if she means the two of us alone or if she's inviting Jack too.

"I'm sorry, but I have to work. I will grab a quick bite at the diner."

Emily looks at Jack, so I guess she was inviting him too.

"I can't either. I'm having lunch with Kevin, we've got to finish a paper." She nods at the two of us, but I can tell she's a little bit disappointed.

"Maybe on another occasion," I add nicely.

"Where were you this morning?" she asks changing the subject.

"I was… uh… jogging," I add almost stuttering. It's odd that she's so interested in my life, she caught me off guard.

"Jogging? Do you jog?" She has a surprised look on her face.

"Yeah, I do. Why are you so surprised?" I ask raising my eyebrows while I take off my sunglasses.

"I don't know. I just… didn't think you were that type of girl."

"I guess I am," I tease her.

"I guess your life is a box full of surprises," she says seriously. I don't know what she's talking about, but she's not smiling anymore. I stare at her, but she's looking away, avoiding eye contact. She speaks again after an awkward silence. "Well, see you later," she says before she turns around to walk away. Her friends are sitting on a bench a few meters away from us. Hanna and the other tall girl are staring at us while they wait for her friend to approach them.

"Okay, what was that about?" Jack asks staring at me with his eyes wide open.

"I have no idea. Anyway, I've got to go to the diner or I'll be late," I add while I look at my watch.

"Bye, Paige." He puts his earphones on again and continues humming. I stand up and make my way to the diner. When I walk past Emily and her friends I wave at her, but she only lifts her head up a little bit. I don't know why she's annoyed with me, but I clearly did something that bothered her. Hanna waves at me and the other girl gives me an awkward look. I put on my sunglasses and I keep walking.

**Emily's POV**

"I'm really hungry," I add when we sit down at the table.

"I'm going to order the biggest hamburger they have," Hanna adds with a grin on her face. The bartender takes our order and leaves. There's a moment of silence, but Spencer breaks the silence with a sentence I was expecting.

"Emily, just spit it out. Something is worrying you," Spencer says staring at me.

"Let's see… Paige, right?" Hanna is grinning at me. I look at her out of the corner of my eye. I finally open my mouth to take this weight off of my shoulder.

"I think she's in trouble. I mean, she disappears every night. She doesn't say where she goes. Even Jack told me that he stopped asking a long time ago, because she doesn't say a word. And this morning I saw her getting into a huge black car with tinted windows. I mean, like the ones you see in movies. I don't know, everything about her life is a mystery and I know she won't ask for help even if she got herself into a mess. Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but I can't help but worry." I take a deep breath and I look at my two friends. They're both staring at me with her eyes wide opened.

"I don't know her, so maybe I'm wrong. But she seems like she's not totally trustworthy. And I have a sixth sense for that kind of stuff," Spencer says seriously. "Don't get involved in that mess, Em. I don't want to see you hurt," she says as she holds my hand.

"She seems a nice girl, Spence," Hanna adds staring at her. "I know that she's weird, but I don't think she's a problematic girl. In fact, I think that her sarcasm and irony are a shield. Just talk to her, find out what is going on."

"I'm so proud of you right now. I guess spending so much time with me was really good for you," Spencer says patting on her shoulder while she grins at Hanna. "You've grown up, Han." Hanna shakes her head.

"Jerk!" she says jokingly.

"Well, I suppose my dear friend is right. Just speak with her. But be careful, Em." Spencer is always so protective. She's not the kind of person that is very affectionate, but she's always there for me, no matter what.

"What about Ben?" Hanna asks before eating some french fries. Spencer gives her an angry look. "What? I just want to know, Spence!" she insists staring at her.

"It's over." I don't know what else to say. I thought I would be in pain after our relationship ended, but I don't feel pain at all. Actually, I feel relieved. I wasn't in love with him, he wasn't the one, so ending the relationship was the adult thing to do.

"Okay, I've got to ask. We've been wondering if…" Spencer pauses a few seconds and stares at me. Then she opens her mouth after a little bit of hesitation. "Is there someone else, Em?" Hanna gives her and awkward look. It's obvious they talked about this, they're curious about the break up, and I don't blame them. It happened really fast and it didn't affect me at all. I mean, that's good, but it also shows that I wasn't so into that relationship. _What does that say about me? Am I a soulless person?_

"No!" I say loudly. "Why would you say that?" I add angrily.

"You've got to admit you seem fine. You dated him for two years, Em." Hanna is looking at me with a serious face expression.

"I… just… uh… I suppose I'm not torn apart because it ended, but… I don't know why," I add hesitantly.

"It's okay, Em. I'm sorry, but we thought that maybe there was someone else in your life, and…" Spencer says setting her eyes on me.

"No, there isn't. Did you really think I would cheat on him?" I'm mad at them. Even if I didn't love him, cheating feels wrong, and they know I'm not like that. Their doubts really bothered me.

"We didn't say you were unfaithful to him. We just thought that maybe you met somebody and that's why you left him."

"Actually, I didn't break up with him, it was the opposite."

They're staring at me with a sad look. I can't stand this anymore. I take twenty bucks out of my wallet, I leave the money on the table and I stand up.

"We're sorry, Em," Spencer says holding my arm.

"I need some time alone. Bye." I grab my purse and I leave the diner.

When I got to my dorm, I take a shower. A hot shower always makes me feel good, even if I feel like shit. Then I open my Chem book, forcing myself to study, but I can't concentrate. I can't stop thinking about Paige and her secrets and my friends and their weird ideas. I feel betrayed. I know they see me like this nice and naive girl, but I'm sick of being treated like I'm a little girl. I just need honesty in my life. I think I'm not asking much. I close the Chem book and I lie on bed. I close my eyes and I suddenly fall asleep. When I open my eyes again, I look at the watch, it's already 7'30 pm. If I'm not wrong Paige finishes her shift in 15 minutes. I approach my closet and I get dressed. I need some answers, I should at least give it a try. Maybe she'll accept to have dinner with me. I walk towards the diner and I wait for her outside her job. Suddenly I hear her voice, but she's not alone.

"Hi, Emily. What are you doing here?" Jack asks nicely. Paige is as surprised as her friend.

"I just thought that… I don't know… Maybe I should have call…" I start saying, but she interrupts me.

"Join us," she says nicely. "We were going to a concert. I don't know if there will be tickets, but… we will figure something out," she adds staring at me.

"Yes, come with us," Jack says smiling at me.

"It's okay. I'll just need to study, so… see you," I add staring at the floor.

I turn around and I walk away with a rapid pace.

"Emily, please. Come here," I hear Paige yelling.

"Come back," Jack shouts as well.

I ignore them, though. I feel abandoned by my friends and Paige. Maybe I'm overreacting, but I can't help but feel like crap. I'm emotionally weak, I feel like crying, but I don't understand why I'm feeling like this.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews, so keep them coming. ;) Thanks, guys. :) And happy New Year! :)**


	8. In Her Arms

**Happy 2013, guys! :D**

**I hope you like this chapter, 'cause I know you've been waiting for it since last year.**

**I don't know when I'll have time to write more because I'm going to be so busy this month. :D Be patient, please. :)**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Nae10: I love teasing you. I can't help it. :) Emily's reaction made me sad too. But she's starting to realize that there are some feelings involved, and that's why she was so angry and sad. So that's good too, right? I mean, Paily is getting more real. ;)**

**Cony: No esperaba que Paige tuviese planes, y quizá le dolió un poco. El tema es que ella tenía ganas de hablar con Paige después de la discusión con sus amigas y ella "le falló", así que es normal que no estuviera de humor. Pronto sabréis quién iba en ese coche y más sobre la vida de Paigey. ****Paciencia. ;) Un abrazo. :)**

**Paily lover: Hahaha. She's not a mobster or a gangster. Your theories are hilarious. LOL Paige could have gone after her when she left, but I don't think that would be the most logical thing to do. I mean, they invited her and she rejected the invitation. She was being a little bit possessive, so I understand Paige's reaction. Anyway, this chapter clarifies what Paige was thinking at the moment. So… keep reading. ;)**

**Del: I'm not sure if she was jealous of Jack, yet. xD But she was hurt because she wanted to be alone with Paige, and she already had plans. Besides, don't forget Emily had had a fight with her friends, so she needed to talk, and Paige was not there for her. I'm not saying it was Paige's fault, it's just that Emily thought Paige wouldn't have plans. Thank you for reviewing. Have a nice day. :) **

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying this crazy fic of mine. I imagine you're dying to know what is going to happen now. :)**

**cici: Yeah, you're right. She is hurt because she already has feelings for her and she is afraid Paige is in trouble. In summary, she cares about her but she doesn't know anything about Paige's life, and she doesn't want to lose her.**

**Enjoy! :D**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 8: In Her Arms**_

**Paige's POV**

I don't get why she's so upset. She left without saying a word, even if we invited her. Besides, we didn't invite her just because she was waiting outside the diner. I really wanted her to come, and Jack was also excited by the idea. When I saw her this morning she was acting a little bit weird too. At first she was happy to see us laying on the grass, but then she said something about me being a box full of surprises and everything changed. She wasn't smiling anymore. Anyway, I'm at the concert now, Jack is cheering like mad, but I'm not enjoying it as much as I thought I would. I can't stop looking at my watch, thinking about when the concert will end, and Jack realized that I'm not having fun.

"Paige, are you okay?" she shouts me in the ear because of the loud noise.

"Yeah, I'm just…" I pause a few seconds before I decide to do something about it. "Don't move, I'll be here in a minute. I'm going outside to make a phone call, okay?" I say loudly. He nods at me and smiles at me afterwards. I don't need to give an explanation, he knows exactly who I'm going to call.

I make my way to the door. Luckily people push me towards the exit, so I don't have to make a big effort. Coming back inside will be harder, though. There are a lot of people smoking outside, so I go a few meters from the entrance door. I take my phone out of my pocket and I dial her number. She doesn't pick up on my first attempt, so I try again. I'm luckier this time.

"Hi. Are you okay?" I ask nicely.

"Hi. Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry about earlier. I just…" she says doubtfully. I interrupt her before she says a word more.

"I didn't know you wanted to come to the concert. Otherwise I would have told you."

"I'm sorry," she insists. I can tell from her voice that she's sad.

"I'm at the concert now. But I'll get there as soon as possible, okay?" I suppose her attitude may have something to do with her recent break up, so I'm trying to be understanding.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just enjoy the concert." I don't know if she means it or not, but I can't be here knowing she's having a hard time. I can't believe I'm being so caring, 'cause I've never been that kind of person. I guess I'm becoming an adult.

"Okay. See you later." I hang up after she says bye to me. Going inside is going to be a nightmare. When I'm about to make my way to the door, somebody holds my arm. I get a terrible fright, but I calm down when I see who's really touching me.

"Are you insane? Don't do that to me again. I'm warning you!" Jack is laughing loudly. He always enjoys frightening people.

"It's me, Paige. Who did you think I was?" He keeps roaring with laughter.

"I don't know. Maybe a killer or a psycho**.**" My heart is still pounding. "What are you doing here? Did the concert end?"

"No, I just… Let's go home, I know you're worried about her. There is no point on being here if you're going to be absent," he adds nicely while he puts his arm on my shoulder.

"But you wanted to…" I start saying, but he interrupts me.

"I enjoyed half the concert. I'm good. Besides, I'm exhausted, I need to sleep." He yawns, but I know he's lying. He's just saying that because he doesn't want me to be there. There's obviously somewhere else I want to be right now. He's such a good friend.

"Thanks. You're the best." I smile at him and he smiles back. We keep walking. I know he won't leave me alone until we get to the dorm, so I don't even try to convince him that he should go directly to his dorm. When we're about to get there, he looks me in the eye and he asks a question.

"I'm just curious. What did you do to make her so angry? Don't answer if you don't want to, but I don't know if I'll be able to live with that uncertainty." He giggles.

"I didn't do anything. That's why it's weird she's acting like that." I raise my eyebrows and he frowns. "Anyway, here I am, so I'll know it soon. See you tomorrow, Jack," I add with a smile on my face. I grab my keys and I open the door. He waves at me. I wait till he disappears at the end of the corridor and I walk in. The door of her bedroom is closed, but I can see the light under it. She must be reading or watching a movie. I knock on the door and wait for her answer.

**Emily's POV**

My head is a mess right now. I'm sitting on my bed, reconsidering what I just did, and I'm regretting my decision. I just needed to talk to her because I don't know if she's in trouble. I mean, she doesn't go to class, she's always missing, she has trusting issues, this morning I saw her getting into a very suspicious car… I need answers, but I couldn't talk to her with the noise at the concert. Besides, Jack would be there, and this needs a face-to-face conversation, it's serious. I was already hurting after the fight with Spencer and Hanna, but not having the chance to be with her destroyed me. She's a really shy person and I barely know her, but there's something about her that makes me smile, and I needed a smile so badly. But she had to go to that damn concert. I know I'm being selfish, I should have called her to ask if she was free. But I assumed she wouldn't have plans, I was wrong and it really got me. After saying that I didn't want to go with them, I turned around to keep walking and I felt a tear running down my face. I can't really explain why I'm feeling so down, but I'm pretty sure Ben has nothing to do with my sudden sadness. The conversation with my friends made me realize that the break up didn't affect me at all. _Then, why I'm feeling like shit?_

Paige is not the one to blame, though. She said to join them, she was nice, and I rejected her. Furthermore, she called me half an hour later to check on me. That was very kind of her, I appreciate she cares about me, because the feeling is mutual.

Suddenly I hear the door opening and two loud knocks a few seconds later. I didn't expect her so early. I take a deep breath before opening my mouth.

"Come on in," I add raising my voice.

"Hi," she says nicely. "Are you feeling better?" She's in front of me, but she doesn't get closer. She definitely has some issues regarding closeness.

"Hi. I'm okay, thanks," I add. She's staring at me, I can tell she noticed my puffy red eyes from crying, because all of a sudden her face expression changes. She gets closer to me.

"May I?" She's pointing at the bed. Politeness, another positive thing about her.

"Sure," I add smiling at her. She sits down next to me, but she keeps distance.

"I'm sorry if I disappointed you earlier. It wasn't my intention," she adds avoiding my gaze.

"No, I should be the one apologizing. I was a jerk."

"I suppose… you're sad… because of Ben. I'm sorry," she insists. She keeps avoiding my eyes. Shiest person on earth, confirmed.

"Well…something like that," I lie. I take a deep breath and continue speaking. "It was a tough day. I had a fight with my friends and… I just…" I start saying, but sadness overpowers me. I can feel a tear running through my cheek. I don't know what is wrong with me, but I can't control my feelings.

"Don't cry, please," she says staring at me. After hesitating what to do, she finally hugs me. Her touch is what I really need right now. I feel safe in her arms. It's the first time she hugs me, but it feels familiar. I could be hugging her forever, but I pull away. I don't want her to think I'm obsessed with her. _Am I?_

"Thanks. I needed this," I admit. I wipe the tears from my eyes.

"You should know I'm not the hugging type of person," she jokes. I smile.

"Really?" I ask ironically. She flushes.

She stands up and stares at me. "I know you're having a tough time, Emily. Since I'm your friend now, I suppose I have to spend time with you. Is that what sociable people do?" she jokes before showing me her beautiful smile. She takes a deep breath. "So, I've been thinking we can hang out after class tomorrow. Or even better, I'll buy you breakfast too. What do you say?" she asks nervously. Socially awkward, that's the term I was looking for. But it makes her even more adorable.

"Okay." I give her a huge grin. "But… I want to know more about your life, so I'm expecting you'll answer some of the questions I might make. Deal?" She frowns her forehead.

"Deal. Just a few questions. My life is not as interesting as you think it is," she teases me. "Night, Emily," she adds lovingly before leaving the room.

I turn of the light and I go to sleep with a huge grin on my face. This obsession with her, wanting to spend time with her, making me feel so happy…

_Is it jealousy? Is story repeating again? I'm a little bit worried, but happy at the same time. I'm starting to think what happened with Lucy a few years ago was not just a phase. Although in high school I contained my feelings. But that was just a very close friendship, right? There's nothing to worry about, Em. Just close your eyes and sleep. Everything is going to be all right._

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews, because that's the way I know if you like the story. Besides, I also love suggestions in terms of storylines. And yeah, I didn't forget the McHastings conversation. It's coming. :D Thanks, guys. :)**


	9. All Day Long

**Hey, guys!**

**It's been a really hectic week, sorry for not updating soon. I have so many things going on in my life that I can't write as much as I'd like to.**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Nae10: Thank you for the forgiveness! xD Paily is just beginning. I didn't want to rush the story, because I felt like I needed to develop the characters before Paily getting real. Besides, you don't know anything about Emily yet. I will write about her past in upcoming chapters. :)**

**glorymania: Thank you so much! You made my day. Your words make me happy, because I love your stories and you're one of my favorite authors. I know there are a lot of unanswered questions, but I didn't want to reveal all the facts about their past and families right away. Happy Paily moments are coming, but they have to figure out their feelings yet. Thanks for reviewing. Have a nice day! ;)**

**cici: If your dream is that Lucy resembles Quinn from Glee, your wish will come true. :D I hadn't thought about Lucy's looks yet, but why not? xD You'll read about it soon. Thanks! :)**

**Paily lover: Emily is falling for her. Paige is not sure what is going on, but she clearly likes her. Yeah, they're so cute. :D**

**Cony: ¡Gracias! ****Me encanta que la espera se te haya hecho más corta leyendo el fic. Ésa era precisamente mi intención, además de que yo también disfruto escribiendo esto. Sí, sin darse cuenta se están preocupando la una por la otra, y creo que llegará un momento en que sepan por qué está pasando eso. Emily prácticamente sabe lo que está sintiendo, aunque le da miedo admitirlo. Paige todavía no lo ve venir, pero pronto empezará a preguntarse por qué se preocupa tanto por ella. ****¡Un abrazo!**

**Del: Those awkward moments are so funny. But they're so cute. Jack is lovely, Paige is lucky she can count on him. Besides, he's helping their relationship to develop without even noticing. Emily knows what she's feeling, but she's scared. She'll admit it eventually, so don't worry. You've to understand that she didn't expect this to happen, so she needs time to get used to the idea that she may be in love with a girl. Thank you! Have a nice day. ;)**

**Jamscottroc54: Thanks! I'm glad you like this fic and I'm so happy to see you around here. Hahaha. Your crazy theories make me laugh. Not vampires, I can assure you that. xD You'll know more about her family soon. :) **

**Enjoy! :D**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 9: All day long**_

**Paige's POV**

The first thing I do when I wake up the next morning is hit the shower. I'm exhausted, I didn't sleep enough hours and my hectic schedule is starting to affect me. However, when I open my eyes I feel happy. I think having breakfast with Emily is a huge step for our friendship. I'm not a very sociable person, but I've realized spending time with her is really satisfying. And I obviously care about her, because I came back earlier from the concert. I've never felt like this, and I think it's really weird, but it feels great. Once I get out of the shower and get dressed, I go check what time it is. Suddenly I hear Emily's voice behind her bedroom door.

"Paige, can I come in?" she asks doubtfully.

"Yes, sure." She opens the door and I see she's already ready to go. "Why did you say that. You can come here whenever you want to, you don't have to ask for permission," I add smiling.

"I just… I didn't know if…" She's blushing, but I don't understand why. "I heard that you were having a shower and maybe you were…" she stops talking. I think I know what she's talking about.

"Right." I nod at her. "Well… we have the same equipment… so…" I joke, trying to hide the fact that I wouldn't want that to happen. I'm shy and I'm sure I would get so nervous that I would end up doing something silly. Like my towel falling off and the awkward moment that goes with it, or even an awkward remark. I feel my cheeks are red and burning. She's flushing too. The weirdest thing is that even if we share these awkward moments, I still want to hang out with her.

"Are you saying that you want me to see you naked?" she teases me. She laughs loudly and I smile at her, even if my cheeks are still red.

"No, I wasn't saying that. I only said that because…" She interrupts me when she sees a serious expression on my face.

"Relax. I was joking, Paige. So, you promised you'd invite me to breakfast, right?" She finally changes the subject. Thank God, I was about to start stuttering. It happens a lot when I'm very nervous, and it's not pretty at all.

"Yeah, I always keep my promises," I add while I open the dorm entrance door for her.

"Thanks," she says grinning at me.

Once we are sitting in the diner, we order a huge breakfast and we wait for our order. Finally, I decide to break the silence, because she keeps staring at me.

"Are you feeling better?" I ask, remembering what happened last night. The waitress interrupts our conversation for a few seconds, when she comes with our tasty food. Everything looks delicious.

"Yeah, thanks," she says nicely. "And thank you for this." She points at the food and then at me.

"It's a pleasure. I have to admit I enjoy being with you," I add shily while I look down. When I look up at her, a huge grin shows on her face.

"There's no need to lie." She raises her left eyebrow. She's obviously mocking me. I take a sip of the orange juice while she smiles at me.

"I wasn't lying." After all, it's the truth. Besides, she needs moral support to overcome the painful break up.

She looks at me seriously, and she opens her mouth after a brief pause. "I like you too, Paige," she admits. I smile at her lightly. We keep eating pancakes, but she suddenly remembers why we are in this place. "I don't want to be a nosy friend, but I wanted to know more about your life." I close my eyes. I was hoping she forgot that, and I don't want to tell her everything.

"Shoot," I say nicely.

"Who was inside that black car?" My jaw is hanging open in astonishment. Did she really see me? She has a worried look on her face, so I guess I should tell her. Just so she stops asking more questions.

"Did you see…?" She nods at me, she's anxious to hear my explanation. I take a deep breath and I clear my throat. "Okay. That was my dad." I look at her and she seems surprised.

"Your dad?" She seems more relieved.

"Yes. He was in town due to work reasons and came to visit me. That's all." I can tell she wants to know more about my dad, but she doesn't insist on the subject. She clearly saw my face. And she's not wrong, I don't want to talk about it. "Anything else?" I ask raising my eyebrows.

"I don't want to make you feel comfortable, but there's another thing that I'd like to know, if it's okay." She's looking at me with those good girl eyes. I can't help but surrender to the charms of my roommate/friend. I nod at her and take another deep breath. I hope she doesn't ask more about my family.

"Go ahead."

"Where do you keep going at nights? I'm a little bit worried. Are you in trouble?" I can't believe this girl actually is worried about my wellness. Jack is the only friend I've got, and he cares about me. But listening her say that, makes my heart melt.

"I just…I know it's odd, and you'll think I'm crazy, but I'm a night creature." She frowns at me.

"You didn't answer, Paige."

"I like spending time alone. I use those moments to clear my mind. It's kinda relaxing. I go for a walk or take a ride in the car… I already know a few stunning places nearby, particularly at night." She's staring at me, but she doesn't say a word. "Okay, I scared you. I know I seem like an aloof person, but I like doing that."

"I'm actually surprised. But I'm glad there's nothing bad going on. Maybe I could come with you one of those nights you want to do that." She giggles.

"I'd like that," I admit. I look at my watch and then at her. "Emily, you've got to go to class. You're going to be late."

She looks at my serious face expression and then bursts laughing. "Are you serious? Just me? You're missing something, right?" I smile at her. "You mean WE BOTH have got to go to class," she says emphasizing the words 'we' and 'both'.

"I don't want to go."

"Neither do I," she insists with a smile on her face. "We've got an exam in two days. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I do. I already read the first five lessons of the Chem book. I've got it under control."

"So, are you telling me you're some kind of self-taught person? When do you study, at nights?" she teases me. I laugh at her funny comment.

"Something like that."

"I'll believe you once I see the result of that exam."

"Okay," I add happily. "So, time to go to class." I point at my watch.

She shakes her head. "What are you planning to do right now?"

"Don't you even think that you'll…" I start saying, but she interrupts me.

"Let's take the day off," she adds. She has a mischievous look on her face.

"No way! I don't want your friends to think that I'm a bad influence."

I ask for the bill, I pay and I stand up. I look at her and she's still giggling. On the one hand, I want to spend time with her. But I don't want her to skip class because of me. When we're about to leave the diner, she holds my arm and opens her mouth.

"Take me somewhere, Paige." I get goosebumps when I hear her sweet voice. I won't lie, I'm tempted by her offer.

**Emily's POV**

I wake up when I hear the sound of running water from the shower. I jump out of the bed and approach the closet. I take a pair of jeans, a black shirt and my grey coat and leave then on my bed. I get dressed and sit on my bed, waiting for Paige to get out of the shower and get ready. I don't want to walk in her room and find her almost naked, so I open a book and start reading till I hear she's out of the bathroom. I knock on her door to find out if I can open the door. I know that's silly, but I don't want to make her uncomfortable. Maybe it's myself who would feel awkward if that really happened. We go have breakfast and I finally get the chance to ask her those questions that have not been answered and that are getting me crazy. She basically says that the man in that black car was her dad, but she doesn't get into more details. I'm not sure if she's telling the truth, but she insisted that she isn't having problems, so that's fine by me. I suppose she doesn't like talking about it, and if she doesn't want to, I won't pressure her. Her family has been a mystery since I met her, and I got the feeling that she didn't want to speak about them. She didn't even tell me her surname. It's like they did something that hurt her so much she doesn't want to have anything to do with them. I hope she tells me more about them once I get her trust more. I guess she'll open up more eventually. When I ask about those nights she disappears, she says something about enjoying having time alone. She's a lone wolf, and that makes her even more interesting.

After enjoying the delicious breakfast, she insists that I should go to class, but I don't want to. I want to spend all day with her, and I'm pretty sure she wants to have company. When we leave the diner, a lot of people are making their way to class. She looks at me and points at them, like she's trying to make me understand that I have to go.

"No," I insist. She laughs.

My phone is ringing. I look at the screen, Spence is calling me. I don't want to have to explain that I'm ditching class, because I know she will tell me off. It's just one day, it's not going to happen anything, so I don't care what Spencer wants to tell me.

"You can answer the phone," she says nicely. Spencer won't stop calling, so I silence the phone and I stare at her.

"So, where do you want to go?" A smile grows on her face. I hadn't seen her smile so much until today, and I really love it.

"Emily, please…" she says staring at the floor, like she's trying to avoid eye contact. But her smile is still there. Deep down I sense that she wants it as much as I do.

"There is a skate rink no far from here," I say and wait for her reaction. Her eyes open widely, I can tell she's excited by the idea.

"Yes, please," she says nodding at me. I can't help but laugh. I didn't think she would like the plan, but she seems overly excited.

The morning flies. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. There's nobody else in the rink, so it's like having a private skating rink for us. I fall a few times, because it's been a long time since I skated. Paige, however, moves like a pro. It's impressive to see her skate like that. She makes skating seem easy, and I can tell she loves it.

"Balance, Emily," she repeats jokingly every time I fall. She helps me stand up, holding my waist and provoking me feel shivers down my spine. I need to avoid those feelings urgently, I'm not a child anymore.

After leaving the skating rink, we order some take-out food and we have lunch at the dorm. The plan for the afternoon is simple but fun. Watch a few movies while we eat popcorn laying on the bed. When Paige goes get popcorn, I take advantage of the moment to check the phone. Spencer's been calling me all day. I send her a text saying that I'm okay. It's the least I can do, 'cause I know she must be worried. She answers instantly.

"Where the hell are you?"

She's pissed, damn it! I type another text, saying that I'm at my dorm, and that I'm okay. She doesn't text me back. I hope she forgets about this, although I know that's practically impossible. Spencer doesn't forget, she'll interrogate me like I was a terrorist.

I leave my phone on my desk and I sit down on the bed. Two minutes later Paige shows up and we start our movie session. I won't deny sometimes I look at her and I study her face. She's just inches away from me and I like admiring her beauty.

"Don't you like the movie?" she asks when she realizes I'm looking at her.

"No, I like it," I add nervously. I avert my gaze, concentrating on the movie. I'm blushing. I hope she didn't realize I was staring at her like a stalker.

"Great," she adds smiling at me.

Suddenly I hear the sound of knocking and I instantly frown.

"Are you expecting somebody?" I ask doubtfully. She shakes her head. Then she makes her way to the door. The person that is waiting in the hallway is not happy at all, I can tell. I instantly realize this happy day is already ruined with that person's presence outside our dorm.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews, because that's the way I know if you like the story. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. :)**


	10. Different Conversations

**Hey, guys!**

**Another chapter, finally! :) I wanted you to know that I'm moving to another country soon, so I don't know when I will be able to update the story. I will be very busy and I don't know when I'll have internet access, so it might take a lot of time till I'm established. Anyway, I don't want you to think that I won't keep writing, it's just that the updates won't be so frequent. I needed to make this clear in case I don't update the story before Tuesday.**

**I'm not a native English speaker, so I apologize in advance for the mistakes I'll be making.**

**Jamscottroc54: LOL at your equipment remark. You're so funny. xD There's no more information about Paige's family in this chapter, but I think you'll like it though. Not CIA. :D Another hint, that was the last one. xD I'm probably going to focus on Emily's past in the next chapter. You'll know more about Paige's family, but not yet. Yes, I know I'm evil, but I've got other ideas in mind. Thanks! I'm so happy you love the story. That's why I keep writing.**

**glorymania: Thank you! There will be more towel moments, don't worry about that. xD I'm glad the skating rink part reminded you that lovely story of yours. So cute! Don't be sad, though. :) Paige is Batman, she can handle a Chem exam. :D Thank you for your nice words once again. ;)**

**Cony: Jajaja. Sobre la persona que aparece en la habitación… Estuve debatiéndome entre Spencer y Ben, pero al final supe que uno de los dos me daría más juego. Sigue leyendo… LOL Lo de los sentimientos de Emily, supongo que me centraré en ellos en el próximo capítulo. Creo que ya va siendo hora de que conozcáis a Lucy. :)**

**Nae 10: This chapter is more about drama, but there are some happy moments too. As for Emily's background, I guess you'll meet Lucy in the next chapter.**

**Paily lover: I suppose I'll have to give you more hints about Paige's family, 'cause you're all about to lose your mind. Hahaha.**

**cici: Jack doesn't know anything yet, but he'll figure it out eventually. Emily's feelings are growing, she can't keep hiding them.**

**Del: You all want a Paige VS Spencer moment, that's funny. :D Yeah, Emily's not like that, but with Paige around her, she's acting differently. She should rethink why she really behaves like that. xD Good stuff is coming. :) Thank you! **

**bamary: Paige's shyness is really cute. And Emily clearly likes that. :D Thank you for reading this. ;)**

**Enjoy! :D**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 10: Different Conversations**_

**Emily's POV**

"Hi," Paige says nicely. She doesn't know what is going to happen next. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so adorable with her.

"I knew you were with her," Spencer says frowning and staring at me. Paige has a surprised look on her face. At first I thought Spencer came alone, but now I can see Hanna is standing just behind her. Hanna looks at me with her eyes wide open and making that odd gesture she usually does when Spencer is really pissed off. I know that face, she's trying to tell me that I've got to be patient with her.

"Don't you see I'm fine, Spence?" I try to say nicely. I didn't do anything wrong. I just skipped classes one day, it's no big deal. It doesn't mean I'll do it again. I was feeling down and Paige got to cheer me up. Actually, I was a little sad because my friends were harsh to me about the whole Ben story and they made me feel insensitive. Let's just say that they don't understand why I'm not sad about my break-up. If only they knew what's going on inside my messed up head, they'd act differently.

"Fine?" She says raising her voice. "You cut us short yesterday, Em. You left the diner when we were trying to help you, and you never skip classes. And you're saying you're fine? You've been behaving weirdly the last days. I don't know if it's because of Ben, or there's another reason why you keep behaving like that," she says looking at Paige before she interrupts her.

"I'll just go out and get some fresh air. I don't think I'm needed here," Paige adds shyly. She grabs her purse and when she's just about to leave, Spencer stops her.

"Stop right there," she says raising her voice. Paige stares defiantly at her, their faces are just inches away. It's like watching a non-physical battle, no touching, they're just giving anger gazes to each other. But you can cut their tension with a knife. Their aversion is palpable, and I don't like it at all.

"Shit!" Hanna says after a few seconds. I approach them asap, standing in the midst of them. I'm facing Spencer and I can tell she already realized she made a mistake. She has her sad puppy eyes, and she's staring at the floor. She's ashamed. I turn around to look at Paige, but she averts my gaze.

"I'm sorry," I say while I keep staring at her. She slowly raises her head, to look up at me. Her brown eyes are mesmerizing. It's the first time I'm standing so close to her, and I feel lost in her eyes. I must look like an idiot, I can't stop looking at her.

"It's okay," she adds as she nods at me. She grins at me. That shy smile is the only thing I needed to get more nervous. I take a deep breath and look at Hanna.

"I need some fresh air too. Let's go, Paige," Hanna says suddenly. She holds her hand and they both disappear. Hanna understood perfectly what I needed right now. I've got to remember I owe her a cup of coffee for doing me this favor.

Once they close the door, Spencer and I are still standing at Paige's room. She's calmer than a few minutes before, and she's also ashamed of her behavior, because she doesn't look me in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Em," she adds finally, breaking the silence. "I just…"

"Stop right there, okay?" I say a little bit angry. "What is wrong with you, Spence? You don't even know her." She stares at me.

"I know I've got to stop doing this, but there's something odd about her." She takes a deep breath. "I know you're an adult and I shouldn't intrude in your life, but I don't want to see you hurt or in trouble just because she entered your life." I sigh heavily.

"She's adorable, Spencer. You can't see it yet, but she's one of the nicest person I've ever met." She raises her eyebrows, she's obviously surprised by my remark. "By the way, she's not a bad influence. She actually insisted on me going to class, but I wasn't in the mood. It was my decision, not hers." She looks away and then looks me in the eye.

"Okay, I get it. I'm sorry." I don't know if I really convinced her, but at least she said that she was sorry. I just want Spencer to try to get to know Paige. It's not too much to ask. "I'm under a lot of stress and I guess I overreacted. I'm sorry." She's being sincere, but I'm not so sure if she will look at Paige with different eyes because of my telling off.

"It's okay, Spence," I add when I see her sad face. "Anything else you want to know?" I smile at her so she feels more comfortable. It's not our first fight, and it won't be the last, but I always come into terms with her. In fact, she's very impulsive and protective, but she usually recognizes her mistakes and asks for forgiveness.

"Yes, there's something that is bothering me, but I don't know if…" she says doubtfully.

"Shoot," I say nicely.

"Is something wrong, Em?" Her face expression is serious. "I'm not saying it has to do with Paige, I'm just saying that you're acting differently since you got here. You seem worried about something, I can feel it. I don't want to pressure you, but if you want to talk about it, I want you to know that I'm here for you, okay?" she says holding my arm. I know Spencer is very clever and that she pays attention to every detail, but I didn't expect this._ Is it so obvious? Fuck, I'm screwed._

"I'm just going through a rough patch, but I've got it under control," I lie. I can't look her in the eye. I'm nervous and I know she notices it. Of course she does, she's Spencer Hastings.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Em. I'm here if you need help." She's being honest and I'm hiding my secrets. But I can't talk about that right now. I just need time. I don't want to jump into conclusions. I'll talk to her once I define my feelings, because I'm not even sure what it is going on with me yet.

"Thanks," I add before hugging her tightly. I needed this hug after the whole tension that was filling this room a few minutes ago. A tear is running down my cheek, but I wipe it so she doesn't see that I feel like crying. I feel powerless, I don't understand why this is happening to me.

"Are you okay, Em?" she asks after pulling away. Even if I got to wipe the tears, she realized I am feeling sad.

"Yes, I am," I say smiling at her.

"I'll just leave so you can be on your own." She turns around and she opens the door. I sit on Paige's bed. "Remember what I told you," she adds turning to look at me before closing the door. I nod at her and she grins at me.

**Paige's POV**

I follow Hanna, not saying a word. She's just walking ahead of me, not giving me the chance to decide where I want to go. We leave the building and she takes a seat in a bench that's next to the entrance door. She points at the space that's next to her and she stares at me. I obey her orders, she wasn't mean to me, so she deserves my kindness. I met her at that party where Emily got drunk and she seemed nice. I hope she didn't change her opinion about me, because I don't want to deal with another psychotic friend of Emily's.

"I'm sorry. I tried to stop her, but Spencer is unstoppable," she adds with a huge smile on her face. I didn't see this coming. She seems to like me, even if the other girl thinks I'm the devil.

"I don't get it. I don't know why she did that," I say with a surprised look on my face. She shakes her head.

"Spencer is like that. She thinks you're a bad influence and that you'll ruin Emily's life."

"Why would I do that?" I'm a little bit angry at Spencer. She had no right to do that.

"I don't know. She's a mystery to me even after all these years." She rolls her eyes.

"And why do you think I'm not that monster that Spencer thinks I am?" I'm curious about that. She doesn't know me either, but she seems to like me.

"Because you took care of her that night she got drunk." I can't help but smile. "Wait a minute…" She takes a pause and stares at me frowning. I keep waiting for her to speak, but she doesn't open her mouth.

"What?" I ask impatiently.

"You did help her, did you? I mean… Did you take advantage at her?" she says angrily.

My face turns white, I'm in shock. After a few seconds I flush. "What the hell are you talking about? Are you high?" I yell at her.

She bursts laughing. "I was kidding you, dummy!" I shake my head, but when I see her laughing to tears, I can't help but laugh too.

"You're unbelievable. For a moment I thought you were accusing me of… you know," I add awkwardly. She keeps laughing.

"Anyway, I don't know you, but you should know Spencer will pull your skin off if you make her suffer," she says jokingly. She's teasing me again, but I know Spencer will kill me if I ever hurt her. I still don't understand why they think I will make her life a living hell. I only want to be her friend, I like her company.

"I won't," I insist. She nods at me.

"She's clearly in pain about something. She is not the same Emily that lived in Rosewood. Something happened here, because she's changed, Paige." She's being serious about it, she's worried about her.

"What do you mean? Maybe it has something to do with her ex," I add. She shakes her head.

"We asked and she said that her break-up didn't affect her at all. She was actually relieved. I don't know what it is, but maybe you could try to talk to her, or do something," she says averting my gaze. She's asking me a favor, but I don't get why it has to be me. She's my roommate, but we haven't spent a lot of time together. We barely know each other.

"I don't know if I'm the right person to do that," I say shyly. "Besides, I'm not good at talking about feelings and stuff, in case you didn't notice," I add. I am flushing again, my shyness is making me feel awkward again.

"Trust me, you're the right person. You're becoming an important part of her life," she adds with a huge smile on her face. I'm lost, I don't understand why she thinks that, but it feels great.

"Really?" I ask happily.

"Yes, you are," she adds nicely. "Now go to your dorm. I'm meeting my boyfriend and I don't want to be late because of you," she teases me.

"Bye, Hanna," I add after standing up and making my way to the entrance.

I'm walking down the corridor that leads to my dorm and I see a girl approaching me. Fuck! I don't want to deal with her right now. She stops right in front of me and I try to avoid her, but she's determined to continue the conversation.

"What do you want?" I ask rudely. She stares at the floor, and breaks the silence after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"I'm sorry. What I did back there wasn't fair." She seems sorry, so I nod at her. "Take care of her, okay?" she asks nicely. "Bye, Paige," she says as he walks away. She's not very talkative, so at least we have something in common.

"Bye," I add trying to be nice to her.

I make my way to the door and I open it slowly. I'm not sure if she's going to be crying again and that makes me feel nervous. I close the door and she's staring at me, sitting on my bed. I can tell she's a little bit sad, so I make my best to cheer her up.

"So… let's keep watching movies. I'm intrigued to know how does that stupid movie end," I joke. She suddenly stands up and approaches me. _Please, don't start crying._ She is a few inches from me, her eyes fixed on mine, my heart is racing. There's silence in the room.

"Thanks," she finally says hugging me tightly. I sigh loudly.

"Do you know you're a terrible hugger?" She laughs in my ear. That's all I need to feel happy.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews, so keep them coming. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. :)**


	11. My Past Is Haunting Me

**Hey, guys! Here's another chapter. I know you're anxious to know more about Paige's past, but you'll have to wait. However, this chapter is about Emily's past, and I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you like it.**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes. **

**Jamscottroc54: Thank you! Relax, there's more Paily coming. xD Emily's change of mind is really interesting and funny. She seemed to hate her, and now she's in love with her. :D I love writing Hanna's scenes, because her fearlessness can provoke awkward moments, and those are so funny. :)**

**Cony: Tus deseos son órdenes. xD En este capítulo conocerás a Lucy un poquito. Bueno, más bien sabrás que pasó realmente con Lucy. Espero que te guste, porque le he estado dando muchas vueltas a las diferentes opciones de la trama Lucy-Emily y al final he decidido que ésta era la mejor forma de hacerlo. Lo del abrazo… todavía no creo que alguien se decida a dar el paso. Recuerda que todo es muy reciente, todavía no se han hecho a la idea de lo que les está pasando, sobre todo Paige. ¡Gracias! Espero que la mudanza y la adaptación a una nueva cultura sea lo menos traumática posible. xD De ahora en adelante actualizaré menos, pero seguiré escribiendo, eso seguro. ;)**

**glorymania: Emily's about to get crazy, her feelings are driving her mad, but I guess that's what happens in that kind of situations. Luckily I haven't experienced anything like this ever, but a friend of mine went through a similar situation and she acted like this, so that's why Emily is freaking out. Being roommates is going to be good, you'll see. Thank you! Have a nice day!**

**cici: Thanks for your nice words! Spencer and Hanna are going to be important in this story. But it's curious that they already know their relationship is special, even if Spencer still thinks Paige is a bad influence. Packing won't be as fun as unpacking. ;)**

**Del: I'm moving to Portugal. Even if it's relatively close to my city, 9 hours by car, I am a nerve wreck because it's a totally different culture, different job, different language. But I'm sure I'll love it. ;) I'm glad you liked the fight. As for Hanna, she's hilarious. She knows Paige is really shy but she didn't care about that. :D Thank you for your support and your nice review. ;)**

**Enjoy! :D**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 11: My past is haunting me**_

**Paige's POV**

After I talked to Spencer and came back to the dorm, we continue with our movie marathon. We are sitting on my bed but I can see Emily is looking at me out of the corner of my eye. Both Hanna and Spencer said that she was acting weirdly, that something was bothering her and that I needed to talk to her, but I don't feel comfortable talking about stuff like that. I still can't understand why Hanna thinks that I'm the right person to get her to speak about her problems. I don't know her a lot, so I didn't notice her attitude change, but if her childhood friends think that something is wrong with her, I should try to help her, even if I don't like to have that kind of conversations.

"Are you okay?" I ask the third time I catch her staring at me. Maybe she wants to speak about it and this is her way to make me understand what she wants.

"Yes," she says almost stuttering and looking away. _No, you're clearly not okay_.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Maybe if we start talking about this, she might confess why she suddenly changed her attitude.

"Did you bump into Spence? I mean, you got here when she left, and I wanted to know if she said something that might hurt you." She doesn't look me in the eye, but she seems worried about what Spencer could have done to me.

"Yes, I did. Everything is fine, you don't need to worry," I add smiling at her. I know she doesn't like me, though. I know she was nice to me because of Emily, but I don't want Emily to be sad because of it.

"I told her that you're not the problem, but she won't believe it until she gets to know you better."

I look at her and I take a deep breath. The words come out of my mouth without even noticing what I'm about to say. "Emily, I…" I pause, she's staring at me. "I feel like you want to say something, but you don't dare to say it out loud. Your friends are worried about you." I can't believe I said that, the same shy girl that finds it hard to look at my roommate in the eye. She's looking at me shocked, open-mouthed. I look away, avoiding her intense gaze. I flush and I feel my mouth is very dry. However, I keep speaking, I can't stop now after saying what Hanna asked me to. "I want you to know that you can tell me anything." She sighs, but she doesn't say a word.

My phone starts ringing, breaking the awkwardness in the room. I hate this kind of silence, so I pick up the phone call immediately.

"Hi," I say rudely. "What do you want?"

"Good afternoon to you too, my charming sister," Jess adds ironically.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude." I look at Emily and she's still sitting on the bed, she's still, and she is in a pensive mood. She's obviously thinking about what I said. I have the feeling she didn't like it one bit.

"Are you okay?" Jess asks nicely.

"Yes, I am. But I can't talk right now. I'll call you later."

I hang up and I look at Emily, but she's still speechless.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me what is going on with you," I add nicely.

Suddenly she turns to look at me.

"Who was that?" she asks frowning.

"Nobody."

She shakes her head and speaks again. "Nobody? What's up with you? Maybe you're the one who has problems, not me," she says rudely and acting defensive. I look at her face and I see tears running down her cheek, although she's trying to hide them by looking away.

"I'm sorry. That was my sister. Don't cry, please," I beg staring at her. "I can't stand seeing you sad. I care about you, I just want to help you," I admit almost stuttering. I'm surprised at myself, those words come out of my mouth unpredictably. I wouldn't say something like that in other circumstances, but I mean it. Suddenly I feel vulnerable, like I exposed myself too much. It's the first time in my life I feel like that. I don't know why my shyness disappeared all of a sudden, but she obviously realized that was something I'm not used to.

She turns to face me, staring at me in silence while she wipes her tears. I can't decide if she's still mad at me, or if she's hurt. My heart is pounding hard, but it's not the nervousness or shyness feeling I'm so used to. This is something different that I haven't experienced in my short life. She's still, and she keeps staring at me, but she doesn't speak or do anything. I feel the sudden need to hug her, this is odd. I open my arms showing her a shy smile, a smile lights up her face. "Come here," I add grinning at her. She gets close to me and hugs me tightly. I think I'm starting to like this, I don't recognize myself anymore. She smells great, I could stay like this forever. She seems to love it too, because she doesn't pull away.

**Emily's POV **

Am I so obvious? Paige asking me what was going on made me really upset. I know it's not her fault, but I feel awful because I should be braver. I'm not the same innocent girl I was a few years ago when the same thing happened. My friends and Paige want to know what is going on with me, but I'm not ready to accept what goes through my mind when I see her. Paige also knows something is off, but I hope she doesn't become suspicious. Everything changed when I met her, so if she put two and two together, she'd became aware that she's the reason why I've changed. Besides, she must have noticed that I'm extremely affectionate and caring when I'm around her. Since I met her, I can't help but have the same feelings I used to when I was around Lucy, a girl from high school that made me doubt my sexuality. However, I was fifteen at that time, and I thought that was just a phase. The simple fact of liking girls was so terrifying that I tried to ignore my true emotions. Although this time the feelings are even more intense, and I'm not a child anymore. I'm 20 for God's sake! This can't be a phase anymore, I think I'm falling for Paige.

_**5 years ago…**_

There's something about her that intrigues me. She was my lab partner one year ago and the friendship got really intense. I always have had good friends, like Aria, Hanna and Spencer, but I know that what I've got with Lucy is different. We've been spending a lot of time together, and I know she feels the same for me. I can tell that she wants me when she looks at me and holds my hand after swimming practices. And I've seen how she looks at me. I even caught her checking me out more than once. I've never stopped to think what this means, but I think I may like girls, or maybe I just want to experience something different. I don't know what is happening, but I think we need to talk about this. There's a problem, though. When I'm about to talk about it, Lucy seems to realize I'm going to say it out loud and she changes the subject. She's avoiding it, and I can't keep doing that, she's driving me crazy. I can't even sleep at nights. I'd like to erase my memory so I don't have to worry about these feelings. Didn't scientists invent something that makes your memory go blank? I need something like that. My life was so much easier before I met her. I wasn't unhappy all the time. Right now my head is a total chaos and she refuses to talk about it.

Today is the day, I'm meeting her at her place and I want to come clean, even if it hurts or makes my life a living hell. I don't want to lose her, and I know this conversation will change our relationship, but I can't live like this.

Once I get there, I knock on her door and she opens it immediately. She greets me with a hug and I follow her to the living room. We both sit down on the couch and she turns on the TV and makes her way to the kitchen to get popcorn.

"It will be just a minute," she says nicely. I can't help but checking her out when she stands up. She's wearing jeans and an oversized black t-shirt, but everything fits her. Besides, when she wears black she looks prettier. I guess her blonde long hair and her pale skin have something to do with that. "There are three movies on the table in front of you. I let you choose, don't let me down," she jokes from the kitchen. I smile at her comment, because she always says that I have awful taste in movies.

"Do you need help?" I yell so she can hear me.

"No, it's okay," she adds. Suddenly she approaches me with a huge bowl of popcorn and two sodas.

"Thanks," I say smiling at her. I look at her, she seems happy. I know she'll try to avoid the subject, but I need to be brave. This can't wait.

"Are you okay? You're very quiet." She puts her hand on my thigh and my heart reacts with a fast beating.

"I…" I say nervously. I stare at her, she's a worried look on her face.

"What is going on?"

"We need to talk, Lucy," I reply. She suddenly puts her hand aside, avoiding any physical contact.

"About?" She frowns. She knows what I'm about to say, but she prefers to ignore the fact that there's something going on between us.

"About this," I add pointing at the both us. I look away for a few seconds, I take a deep breath and I look her in the eye. She's staring at the floor in silence. "I'm confused, but you've got to admit this is not just a friendship," I insist, expecting her to say something. All of a sudden she turns to look me in the eye and places her hand on my thigh again.

"I'm not confused anymore," she says looking me directly in the eyes. She leans in to kiss me, my heart starts racing, but I pull away instead.

"I can't," I say shamefully. She frowns at me. I don't know why I did that. She finally took a step forward and I acted like I didn't want that to happen. I want to kiss her so badly, but there's something that restrains me. I came here to sort this out and I ruined everything. "I'm sorry, I can't do this. I need to go home," I add shyly. I stand up and I walk towards the entrance door.

"I thought you wanted this. I'm sorry if…" she starts saying before I close the door. I'm a fucking coward, she wants me and I decided to run. When I'm about to get to my place I hear a familiar voice calling my name.

"Emily, wait!" Aria yells at me.

It's not the right moment, because I'm crying helplessly, but I can't just ignore her. I wipe my tears and I wait for her. She's running towards me.

"Hey, where are you going?" she asks nicely.

"Home." I'm staring at the floor, hiding my face so she doesn't see my puffy eyes.

"Emily, what is going on? Why are you crying?" she asks while she lifts up my chin to look at me. Tears are running down my sad face. I had a chance to make things right and I screwed up. I know why I did that, I fear the consequences that come with it. Being with a boy is simpler, even if I don't feel the same about them. This is not who I am, right? I'm only 15, things are going to change.

"Nothing. I had a fight with Lucy, and I want to go home," I lie. That wasn't a fight, that was me rejecting the girl I like because of what people are going to think about me.

Aria takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. "I'm sorry. But you'll work things out, you two are inseparable." She smiles at me, and then hugs me tightly.

"Thanks."

"Go wash your face and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." She waves at me and I wave back at her.

The next day I go to school and I only have one purpose, talk to Lucy. I want her to know that I am stupid. I feel the same about her, I just got nervous and I want to make things right. She doesn't show up. I call her, she doesn't pick up. The same thing happens all week, she's missing, it's like she disappeared off the face of the earth. I'm so worried that I go talk to one of her best friends, another swimmer from the team. She finally sheds light on the matter. I can't believe what I'm hearing when she starts speaking about the sudden disappearance of Lucy. Apparently she moved to New York due to family reasons, that's the only thing that her friend coaxed it out of Lucy. It's weird, though. The next day she finally told me that she had feelings for me, she leaves Rosewood. I don't know what really happened, but I have the feeling that I had something to do with it. Anyway, my cowardice wrecked my only chance to be with someone I liked, and now I can't do anything about it.

_**At present…**_

I'm happy we finally sort things out and Spencer tried to behave in front of Paige, although I know she doesn't like her. But I'm still afraid to talk about my "issue" with my friends and especially with Paige. I don't want to lose her, and if I tell her what I'm feeling, our relationship might change. I guess I'll have to talk about this with somebody if I don't want end up crazy.

When the movie we were watching ends, my phone rings. I grab it and my face lights up when I see who's calling me. I make a gesture to Paige and she nods at me. I go to my bedroom so I can have a little bit of privacy.

"Em? How are you?" she says with her soft voice.

"Aria! I'm so happy to hear your voice," I say cheerfully.

I miss her a lot. I know I should be glad that my other two best friends are here with me, but I can't help but miss Aria's good judgment. I mean, Hanna is crazy and fun, Spencer is protective and she would anything for me, but Aria was the one who always gave me good advice, and I probably need her more than ever at this moment. She is studying at NYU. She actually applied to that college because Ezra was offered a really good job in New York City and they decided to move there. It's incredible that they're still together after the problems they went through when their relationship started.

"I miss you, guys. How are you?" she asks again.

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm great, but I'm calling because I want to know about your new life over there." Why is she insisting that I tell her about my life?

"Did you speak with Hanna or Spence?" I ask even if I know the answer to that question. I can't believe they called her. I know they're being good friends, but Aria can't help me right now. I gotta figure this out on my own.

"Are they so predictable?" she says laughing. "I'm sorry, Em, but I want to know if you're okay."

"I'm fine," I add a little bit offended.

"No, you're not, Em. I can tell you're not fine, and you should know that you can tell me anything. Besides, I think I know what is going on." What is she talking about? That's impossible, she doesn't know Paige and I haven't seen Aria in a while. I get nervous, although I know she doesn't have a clue of what is happening in my life.

"What do you mean?"

"I always had my suspicions about you, Em." Is she really talking about my sexuality? How does she know? Maybe I'm paranoid, it's practically impossible that she knows the nature of my concern.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Aria," I say almost stuttering.

"What's her name?" she asks unpredictably. I'm speechless. Is this really happening or am I dreaming?

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews, so keep them coming. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. :)**


	12. Secrets and More Secrets

**Hey, guys! I'm so sorry, but I had a hectic week, and it was impossible to update the story. I know this chapter is so short, but I wanted to publish it so you don't forget about me. :D I'm still adapting to my new life, and I barely have time for myself. I just want you to know that I will keep writing, but I don't know when I'll have time to publish another chapter. Anyway, I apologize for the delay and for the length of the chapter. :(**

**I don't have time to answer to your reviews, but I promise you I'll do that when I publish next chapter. However, I want to thank you all for your nice words. I really appreciate your reviews, and they make me want to write more. Thank you! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 12: Secrets and more secrets**_

**Emily's POV**

"What are you talking about, Aria?" I say while I keep walking from one side of my bedroom to the other, nervously. It's impossible, she can't know about my little secret, she must be talking about something else.

"I understand that you're confused, you don't have to tell me anything, but I'm here if you want to express your feelings, Em." Fucking great, she knew before I was sure about what was really going on with me and this obsession I've got with Paige.

"How did you… I mean…" I say almost stuttering as I sit down on my bed and start tapping my feet anxiously.

"I was suspicious. But I don't want to talk about this by phone. I'm going to visit you tomorrow and we will speak face to face. I want to see you and I don't have class until next week, so it's a date."

"Okay," I say shyly. I needed to talk to somebody, but I didn't think I would have this opportunity so soon. This was really unexpected. I feel nervous, but at the same time relieved because I don't have to explain everything that has been going through my mind these last days. I'm sure the conversation with Aria will do me good.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Bye!"

"Bye, Aria." I hang up and I look myself in the mirror in front of me. I see a scary girl, someone who needs guidance. I open the door, Paige is still lying on her bed, laughing at the movie. She looks at me and I can tell she realizes the call was unexpected and not very pleasant.

"Are you okay?" she asks nicely. I nod at her. "Do you want to… I mean…" she says awkwardly.

"I'm fine," I add smiling at her. God, she's perfect. Her shyness and nervousness make her even more adorable. I sit next to her, making physical contact with her for a few seconds. Feeling her body against mine makes me shiver. I stare at her and I see that she's blushing, and she immediately moves her body the exact distance to avoid any physical contact. "Paige…" I add staring at her again. She's concentrated on the movie, or maybe she's avoiding me.

"Yeah." She turns her head to look at me. This would be the perfect time to kiss her. I feel the urge to touch her, but I know she's not interested on me and I don't want to lose her. These feelings are driving me crazy. And her good smell doesn't help at all. I feel like a stalker.

"Thank you." She frowns when she hears my words.

"What for?" I smile at her.

"For being so adorable," I add while I hold her soft hand. She didn't expect this, neither did I, but I can't help it. I'm addicted to her.

"There's no need to say that. You're more adorable than me, Emily," she says avoiding my gaze and trying to hide her blush by looking away.

**Paige's POV**

"Two cappuccinos, please," Jacks tells the bartender with a huge smile on his face. "Earth to Paige," Jack adds when the bartender leaves. I lift my head to look at him, and he's smiling to me.

"Sorry."

"What were you thinking?" he asks staring at me.

"It's nothing. I just…"

"I know who you were thinking about," he adds while he nods his head.

"Who are you talking about?" I raise my eyebrows. He shakes his head while she grins at me.

"Emily, obviously. I'm not stupid, Paige."

"I don't know what are you talking about, Jack. I was thinking about my dad, and, you know… my sister, my mom, the whole Monster Family…" I grin at him.

"I don't buy it." I don't know what is going on with him, but I don't like his tone.

"I don't like riddles. Just spit it out, whatever you're trying to tell me," I add a little bit annoyed.

"I don't mean to bother you, Paige. I know you want to tell me something, and you should know that I'm not going to judge you. I know you're very shy and that you have difficulties opening up, but… We are friends, right?" he asks trying to sound nicer.

"Okay, Jack, I have no clue what you want me to say."

"Well…" I'm looking him in the eye. I'm anxious to know what is making him be so mysterious. "Since we got here I realized that you were developing feelings for…" he starts saying before I interrupt him rudely.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there," I add abruptly. I can't believe he thinks I want to be more than friends with him. I knew this would happen eventually. This is why people say that a girl and a boy can't be friends ever. I thought they were wrong, but it's happening now. "You and me… that can't happen," I add nervously.

"Are you kidding me?" He laughs loudly. "You're one of the most intelligent person I've ever known, but sometimes I feel like you turn off your brain when we're talking about personal stuff," he adds grinning at me.

"Then…"

"Let me finish, okay?" he says nicely. "I know you don't like talking about this kind of stuff, so I'll get straight to the point. Sorry, pun no intended." He smiles at me. I'm still clueless. He may be right, I must be dumb.

"You're killing me, Jack. Just say it!" I say raising my voice desperately.

I can tell he's furious, he hates when I raise my voice, even if that doesn't happen a lot. "I think you're gay!" Jack yells at me. Suddenly the whole coffee shop goes quiet and I can feel that everybody is looking at me. I love silence, but right now I'd kill for a little bit of noise. I look at him open mouthed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to…" he adds with a guilty look on his face.

I stand up, leave five dollars on the table and I leave the coffee shop without even saying a word to Jack. I'm furious. I don't know why he said that, but his words hurt like hell. I need some time alone, so I make my way to the dorm. I know Emily has first period classes, so I'll be on my own. That's what I need right now. I open the door and I hear two people speaking. Bad timing.

"Hi, you must be Paige. I'm Aria, Emily's friend," a short girl with big eyes says nicely.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews, so keep them coming. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're the best. :)**


	13. Just Say It

**Hi, Paily fans! You deserved another chapter because of the last update and your patience. The last chapter was so short that it made me feel bad, but I barely have time. I'm sorry. :( Anyway, I don't have time to comment on all the reviews, but I'll try to answer some of the last ones. :D I don't know when I'll have time to publish another chapter, but I will. I need you to be patient. :)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Enjoy! **

**Soccergirl17: Thanks! :)**

**Cony: Gracias! Sí, el momento anuncio de Jack fue muy gracioso. ****Es curioso que Paige sea tan lista y que no se diera cuenta que lo suyo no es una simple amistas. Gracias por tu apoyo. La verdad es que la adaptación al principio cuesta, pero supongo que en breve me habré adaptado por completo. :D Un abrazo.**

**Jamscottroc54: Aria is our saviour, you'll see. Thank you!**

**Nae10: Thanks! I hope you like this chapter, 'cause it's about to get to the interesting part. :)**

**Cici: Jack's reaction was really odd, but it was kinda hilarious. The best thing about it is that Paige finally realized that she might be gay. Thank you for reviewing!;)**

**P: Yeah, I'm sorry about last chapter's length, but after a long time without updating, I wanted to give you more Paily, even if it was a mini-chapter. Thanks!**

**Del: Thank you! I'm okay, but I'm really busy, as you can see. I'd like to write more, but it's practically impossible. I'm glad you liked last chapter. I know you'll love this one. I can tell. ;)**

**glorymania: Hi! You're not wrong about that. I mean, their chemistry is not very obvious, but the reason of the lack of chemistry has to do with their doubts. It's like they don't want to even touch each other. They're scared. Anyway, everything is going to change from this chapter on. I hope you like this update. If not, just say it, I want to improve the story. I really appreciate your opinions and I hope you don't feel the urge to reread my last story. xD Thank you! Have a nice day! ;)**

**saffyfan: Hahaha. I know Jack's reaction was like… WTF! xD But thanks to him Paige finally opened her eyes and that is really good for Paily's future. Thank you! :)**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 13: Just say it**_

**Emily's POV**

Today is the day. I wake up and I see that Paige already left. Her smell is all over her bedroom, and I can't help but feel a little bit like a maniac. My obsession for her is growing, and I'm afraid I will do something that I'll regret, but I can't avoid my instincts. I'm a human being, right? A few days ago I was having doubts about my feelings. Well, let's just say that I was afraid of the impact of developing those feelings for a woman in my life. I know my friends won't judge me, I know they don't care if I date boys or girls. But that doesn't mean it's still tough to open up about it. As for my parents, I'm not ready to have the talk yet. I recently accepted to myself that I like girls and that I want to be more than friends with my roommate, but telling my parents about my sexuality scares the shit out of me. I have never had problems with my parents and they trust me, but this feels especially awkward. What if they stop talking to me? I couldn't live without them. On the other side, I should be honest to them. They deserve to know the truth. After all, I'm the same person, I didn't change at all. And I didn't choose to be like this.

After getting dressed I grab my jacket and I leave my room. I'm going to meet Aria at the diner where Paige works. I know she doesn't work today, so there won't be any awkward encounter. When I get there, I took a seat at the table that Paige calls "Emily's special table". That's where I had my first coffee and I always try to take a seat there. I'm a person who's used to a routine. I order a complete breakfast for two. Aria loves pancakes and I know exactly what kind of coffee she loves. She's coming to visit me and I need her more than ever, so this is my way of thanking her for her help. I take a book out of my bag and I start reading while I wait for Aria.

"Hey, you! Are you a geek now?" I look up at the girl talking to me and I suddenly grin at her. "I missed you too," Aria says while she hugs me tightly.

"I'm so glad you're here," I add as she sits down in front at me. The bartender brings our delicious breakfast and I can tell she's hungry. She can't take her eyes off of the pancakes.

"Wow! Thank you, Em!" she says as she reaches the orange juice.

"How are you?" I ask politely. She stares at me and shows me a smile.

"Are you really going to avoid the subject, Em? It's me, don't be afraid of being honest," she says nodding her head. I look away and then look her in the eye.

"I don't know what to say," I say with a low voice.

"You like girls, Em. It's not a sin, it's who you are. Don't be ashamed of that, okay?" she says while she holds my hand.

"Thanks, Aria. I feel lost. I don't know what to do. It's like my whole life is falling apart. I feel powerless."

"I suppose it must be hard. But that's what friends are for, right?" She keeps eating while I keep my silence.

"I'm just curious. How did you know?" She smiles at me and takes a sip of coffee.

"Do you remember that day when I run into you after you left Lucy's place? You were crying. That's when I knew for sure you were in love with her. Your friendship was very intense, I always had the feeling that you were a couple. I don't know if you were really going out, but I knew something was going on. I couldn't say with certainty that you were gay, though. My suspicions grow when she suddenly disappeared after your little fight. I guess destiny wanted me to see her again." She pauses when she sees my face. I look at her open-mouthed. So she saw Lucy after all these years. I take a breath and keep listening to my friend. "So, when I saw Lucy holding hands with a girl, I deduced that she was gay, and I put two and two together. That's the story." She grins at me.

"Wait a minute… Are you saying that… Lucy… I mean… Did you…?" Aria laughs at me. This is not like me, I don't get nervous so easily.

"Relax, Em." She smiles at me. "She's studying in NYU. It's a small world," she jokes. "And her girlfriend reminds me of you. They look adorable." So, she is not hiding, she decided to be happy, ignoring what people think. I can't believe she's out and happy. I could be with her if she hadn't left unexpectedly. I should do the same, be brave, be happy. But my other problem is that I fell for a girl that only wants to be friends with me.

"Wow! I just… I haven't talked to her since that day," I add sadly.

"So…" she says doubtfully. "Talk me about her," she adds smiling at me. I smile back.

"She's my roommate. But we're just friends. Her name is Paige." I blush instantly when I pronounce her name.

"But, is she… I mean… Does she like girls?"

"I don't know."

"So, what are you waiting for?" she says frowning. "Life is short, Em. "Carpe diem."

"It's not that easy, Aria. We must share the dorm room and everything is going to change if I tell her my secret. What if she gets angry with me? We have to live side by side. That would be really awkward, you know." She nods at me.

"I get it, but what if she likes you and you're wasting your time?"

"I don't think so."

"Em, I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to, but if I were you… I mean, I'm pretty sure I would speak with her. Even if she doesn't like you, you're going to get crazy if you keep those feelings for yourself." She's right, but saying it out loud scares me like hell.

We finish eating breakfast and we make our way to the dorm. I forgot my cell phone and I need it to make some calls. Aria comes with me. After that we're meeting Spencer and Hanna at their apartment and we're planning on ordering some pizza and having a conversation. The four of us together, again, just like old times. I've missed those moments when we had dinner together so much since we started college. I spend a lot of time with Spencer and Hanna at their place, but without Aria it feels like there is a missing piece in the puzzle.

When I grab my cell, I hear the door opening and Aria talking to somebody.

"Hi, you must be Paige. I'm Aria, Emily's friend," Aria adds nicely.

**Paige's POV**

I only wanted to stay alone in my room after the fight with Jack, but I guess I'll have to wait. I'm very mad, and I'm still thinking about what Jack said. Am I really gay? It hadn't crossed my mind till now, but maybe I have feelings for her and I didn't realize. I'm stupid, I should have known something was going on. Being with her feels great, it's not like being with Jack. I mean, I love Jack, but he doesn't make me feel that way. Maybe he's right. Anyway, I don't want to deal with that right now. I want to be alone.

"Hi," I say faking a smile. I'd like to be nicer, but I don't feel like talking at this moment.

"Hi, Paige! What are you doing here?" My heart suddenly stops beating when I see her mesmerizing beauty. Okay, this is uncommon, this shouldn't be happening to me.

"Hi. I just… I wanted to rest a little bit," I lie.

"You should come with us," Aria says showing me a huge smile.

"No," I add abruptly. Emily frowns at me and Aria raises her eyebrows. Maybe I was a little bit rude, but I don't need this kind of pressure right now.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I want to lay on my bed, if you don't mind," I say while I approach my bed.

"It wasn't my intention to bother you. Sorry," Emily adds while she gives me an angry look. "Let's go, Aria." When I'm about to apologize, Emily slams the door. Silence is all I hear now. I wanted to be alone, but now I'm feeling bad because I screwed up. She didn't deserve it. I lay on the bed and I close my eyes. I can hear Jack's words non-stop. I'd like my mind to go blank, but I can't stop thinking about her: her smile, her kindness, her body… I'm feeling desperate.

I grab my phone and I call her a few times, but she doesn't pick up. It's understandable that she's ignoring me, I treated her like shit. I text her and I get an answer after a few minutes. She's coming here. I can't blow the opportunity to make things right.

When I hear the characteristic sound of the keys, I suddenly stand up. I feel nervous. Being alone with her after Jack made me open my eyes terrifies me. She looks me in the eye with a serious face expression.

"Sorry. I'm so sorry," I insist. She smiles at me. She's one of the most forgiving person I've ever known, and I love that. I don't understand why she stands my crankiness.

"It's okay. What is going on?"

"l'm just… I don't know, I'm not in the mood. But I'm glad you're here. You're the only person I want to see today," I add blushing. I sit down on my bed, suddenly I feel weak. _Well done, Paige. Complimenting her was a good idea._

"Thank you," she says grinning at me. "May I?" She points at my bed. I nod at her. She takes a deep breath before opening her mouth. "Paige, I need to tell you something." She's not looking me in the eye, she's avoiding my gaze. It seems like she's going to talk about some serious stuff. I open my eyes widely and I nod at her.

"Okay."

She turns her head to look at me. "I don't know if there's a good way of saying this, but I feel like it's the right thing to do." She looks away and sighs.

"What is wrong, Emily?" I ask anxiously.

"Paige… I think that… It's possible that… I think I like you," she adds while she stares at the floor and taps her right foot nervously.

I look at her open-mouthed. This must be a dream. This is not happening to me. So Jack says that I'm gay and Emily admits that she likes me, and it all happens the same day.

"I'm sorry." She stares at me and I can see tears running down her perfect cheeks.

"Don't cry, please," I add while I wipe her tears delicately.

"I'm so sorry," she insists. My hand is still placed on her soft cheek.

"Don't be." I move my body closer to her, I look at her lips and then at her eyes. She's speechless, but the crying has stopped. She's concentrated on my lips. After hesitating for a few seconds, I lean in and kiss her softly. She tastes great. I can tell she didn't see this coming, and neither did I. However, it feels like this was meant to happen, destiny was written out for us.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're the best. :)**


	14. Are You Happier Now?

**Hi! Another happy Paily chapter for you all. You deserve a little bit of happiness after the patience you had with the story and the slow progress of it. Anyway, you know I would like to have more free time to spend writing, but sadly I'm a really busy person. Be patient, please, my adorable fans. ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Enjoy! **

**Jamscottroc54: Thank you! I'm glad you're so happy when I update the story. :D It means a lot. Hahaha. I didn't realize until now that you mentioned the Lucy-Aria parallelism. xD And spoiler alert!... Lucy and Emily will meet in upcoming chapters, although I'm pretty sure you know that. :D Aria is a really calm girl, and Emily really needed some of Aria's serenity. I hope the kiss was unexpected, 'cause that was really my intention after teasing you for a long time. ****LOL**

**Cony: Paige sigue siendo igual de tímida, pero al menos esta vez dio el paso y por fin ocurrió el beso tan esperado. ¡Gracias por tu apoyo! Un saludo. :)**

**PamyNovaes: Thanks! You deserved a tender moment after 13 episodes. I'm glad you liked it. You'll see what happens next if you keep reading, but I assure you everything will be fine. xD **

**Jes Angell: Thanks! I knew you'd like last part. :D**

**Nae10: Finally, right? LOL Thank you for your support. There will be ups and downs, otherwise the plot would be boring, but the important thing is that they already know that they love each other.**

**saffyfan: Thank you! I'm happy you loved the kiss. Sure, Hanna and Spencer are part of Emily's life, so there will interaction between the three of them. I will try to make your wish come true. I can tell you that there will be lots of cuteness. :D**

**cici: Thanks! Yeah, Paige should thank Jack even if she was angry at him at first. Aria and Jack are the real heroes in the story. xD Jack's not Caleb, damn it! LOL**

**Trinity dower: Thanks!**

**Del: Thank you! Making you grin while you read this is my goal. :D I felt like you had the right to a cute and fluffy Paily moment after a long time not updating the story. This is my present to you because of your patience. :) I realized that you're a spoiler junkie, you always ask for more information in your reviews. That's so funny! :D I'll only say that Paige won't freak out, but things won't be easy. ;)**

**Paily lover: Thanks! I always smile when I read your reviews 'cause you're always so happy. xD It's good to know that you liked last chapter. Paige won't freak out, as you'll see when you read this chapter. You deserve happy Paily moments, right? :D Aria and Jack were really good friends, even if Jack made Paige feel really awkward. Anyway, he did what he had to do. ;)**

**Dani: Hey, stalker! LOL Indeed, I'm working in Portugal. Thank you for offering your help! Portuguese people is so nice, I really mean it. They're treating me so well. It's great to be in a foreign country and feel like home. :D I'm glad you like the fic so far, but just so you know, it's going to get better. ;)**

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 14: Are you happier now?**_

**Emily's POV**

I don't understand why she was in a bad mood earlier, but she made me really angry. She can be the most adorable girl in the world, it sucks that she behaved like that in front of Aria. Now I'm sure Aria thinks that I fell in love with an unpleasant person. I hate when she acts like that, especially because it's not the first time it happens and she never talks about what is bothering her. She's so secretive about her life that sometimes I wonder what worries she has.

I'm still at the apartment Hanna and Spencer share, but I'm so absent that I only hear their voices, but I can't focus on the conversation my friends are having. I keep looking at the screen of my phone, and Paige's called a few times. However I silenced the phone because I knew she would do this and I didn't want my friends to realize that somebody was calling me non-stop. I don't want to be interrogated about it, I don't want to give explanations to my friends, especially to the ones that don't have a clue what is happening in my life. Besides, I don't feel like coming out after what happened with Paige. How is it possible that a little fight upsets me so much? She's driving me crazy, and she's turning my life upside down without even knowing. She doesn't realize my feelings for her are so strong.

"Em, are you waiting for a phone call?" Spencer asks staring at me as I get a slice of pizza.

"No, I'm not." I immediately leave my phone on the desk. I try to pretend that everything is fine, even if it's not. Aria stares at me with a very serious face expression. She knows that something is up with me, and she also knows the reason why I'm feeling down. I can tell that she didn't like Paige, and I don't blame her. I would hate if she thought that she's so disagreeable.

"Are you dating again, Em?" Hanna asks eagerly as she opens her eyes widely. She loves gossip, and she has a sixth sense for that kind of stuff. I suddenly "wake up" from my inner thoughts when I hear the word "date" and my name after it.

"No!" I deny immediately. "Why do you think that I… I mean… I broke up with Ben because I wanted to be alone and… Well… I'm not," I say nervously. The verbal diarrhea won't stop, but I only say stupid things. This is what happens when I'm lying. Spencer stares at me frowning. She is suspicious, this is what I wanted to avoid. Another problem to add to my long list of issues. Shit!

"She told me that she has an exam next week and she's having difficulties with it, right, Em?" Aria asks staring at me.

"Yeah, math is killing me," I lie.

Suddenly, I see my phone vibrating, so that means she texted me. My three friends stare at me, they're obviously eager to know who the mysterious caller is. If only they knew…

The pressure makes me grab the phone and I read her text. She apologizes more than once, and she wants to see me. I would love to spend time with her, and even if I'm a little bit angry, I know I'll forget her bad mood when I see her beautiful smile. Besides, if I stay here, I'll be thinking about her and I won't participate in the group conversation, so being here is worthless. I will only get them even more suspicious.

"Who is that, Em?" Hanna asks once again. She knows I'm hiding something. And she's not the only one, 'cause Spencer is giving me a penetrating gaze.

"It's my mom," I lie again. "I'm sorry, but I have to go study, guys. Thanks for the lunch," I add nicely, although I only ate a slice of veggie pizza. I'm not hungry, though.

"Okay, study a lot!" Aria jokes. She is aware that I'm meeting her, and she seems happy about it, so maybe I was wrong about her opinion of Paige.

"Bye. See you tomorrow," Hanna and Spencer say. The look on their faces make me realize that they're going to interrogate Aria once I leave the apartment. Nevertheless, I'm sure Aria won't say anything, it's my call to decide when I'll open up to them. I feel like that will happen soon, keeping secrets it's not my thing.

I hurry up to get to the dorm as soon as possible. I don't want to delay this conversation anymore. Once she apologizes, and I know she will, I will tell her that I like her. It's like Aria said, it's better to say it now, even if she takes it wrong. I can't keep living like this.

She greets me with that shy smile that I love so much. The way she apologizes makes me melt. She avoids eye contact, I can tell she's a little bit nervous, but I don't get why. I mean, she screwed up with me, but it's not that big deal. We have spent a lot of time together and I think she trusts me, but she's still so shy that makes me want to hug her and comfort her.

When she apologizes to me, I finally say what I've been hiding for so long. She has an astonishment look on her face, and she doesn't say a word. I apologize to her, I know it's going to be awkward between us now, but I needed to say it out loud. I can't help but start crying. When she wipes the tears from my cheeks, I feel a shiver run down my spine. The feeling of her skin against mine makes my heart pound so hard.

"Don't cry, please," she says nicely. All of a sudden, she gently moves her face closer to mine. When she's just inches away from me, she looks me in the eye and then she bites her lips sexily. I don't even blink, because I don't want this dream to end. She gets even closer and her lips finally touch mine. I've been dreaming about this moment since the first day I saw her, but this is even better than I imagined. I can't believe she wants this too. Aria was right. The kiss is short, but intense.

"Did this really happen?" I say looking at her stunningly. She smiles shyly and looks at the floor for a few seconds, holding her perfect smile.

"Yes, it did," she says smirking and looking me in the eye.

"How… I mean, are you… Is this…?" I keep saying single words, but I'm incapable of constructing a sentences that makes sense. I don't know how to make her understand that I didn't expect this to happen.

"Are you trying to ask if I'm gay?" she says jokingly. "I don't know who I am anymore. I just know that I want you." She blushes, and my heart stops beating instantly. _How am I not going to fall for this lovely girl?_

"l really can't make myself to the idea that you kissed me. I've been wanting to do that for a long time, and now that it has happened, it feels great," I say smiling at her.

"You're not dreaming," she says in a low voice before she leans in to kiss me again. We both stop so we can take a deep breath. She smirks at me when she sees me smiling like a fool.

"You can't imagine how happy I am right now," I add grinning from ear to ear.

"I could be kissing you all day, but I'm so hungry. Did you have lunch?" she asks staring at me.

"Yeah, I did. Well… I had a slice of pizza, but I wasn't feeling hungry. But I'm kinda hungry now. We could go grab a bite or get takeout food."

"Takeout, if that's okay with you." She gives me that smile I love so much, and I instantly know that I am okay whith whatever she says.

"Okay, then let's go," she says jumping out of bed instantly and holding my hand.

When we get back, we start eating, but I can't stop looking at her. She smiles at me and I smile back. I still can't believe this has really happened. After so many days fighting with my inner self, I finally get the courage to tell her my secret and she KISSED ME. The shy and socially awkward Paige has feelings for me and acted on them before I could even try to make her understand what was happening to me. However, I don't know if this means that we're dating or not. I mean, she kissed me and she's obviously into me, but being a couple is a totally different thing. Especially when I'm in the closet and she's… I don't know if she's gay, or bi. I really don't know anything about her life. But I guess she'll start talking about her more now that she trusts me, right?

"So… what does this mean?" I ask when she finishes eating her noodles.

"This?" she asks pointing at both of us. "I like you, Emily. That's all that matters," she says holding my hand.

"I know that, but… Are we… Are you my… girlfriend?" I ask after hesitating the election of the right word to describe our relationship. I didn't know I was so shy before I knew her. She makes me feel different, it's like I'm more vulnerable when I'm with her. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

"I guess so." Her face turns red while she keeps caressing my hand.

"Then it's official." I grin with excitement.

"But I don't want to rush things, if you know what I mean." She gives me a shy look.

"Okay, I get it."

"By the way, do you have plans for tomorrow?" I shake my head and she grins from ear to ear. "I've got a surprise for you," she adds smirking.

"What is it? You can't do this to me. Just give me a hint, please," I add as I get closer to her and hold her waist. She smirks at me, she knows what I'm trying to do, and I know she likes that.

"No, I won't. Do you know the meaning of the word "surprise?" she teases me.

"You're a mean girlfriend," I add frowning at her.

"Do mean girlfriends do this?" Suddenly she leans in and kisses me passionately. I can feel my body temperature rising and I can't help but moan. I don't know if I've ever been so happy. And the reason of my happiness is the same girl that I hated for a brief period when I introduced to her. Life can sometimes surprise you, and that's the beauty of it.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're the best. :)**


	15. Falling Apart

**Hi! I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I must the busiest person on Earth. xD Anyway, you know I would like to have more free time to spend writing, but sadly I don't have enough time. Be patient, please, my adorable fans. ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Enjoy! **

**Jamscottrock54: Thanks! I love your reviews. :) I wanted to surprise you with the kiss, and I'm glad you liked it. Paige was really sweet. Hahaha. You're hilarious. Aria saying that was so funny, because she didn't really mean studying for the exam, but studying Paige. xD As for the surprise, you'll see what Paige's plan was next chapter. :)**

**PamyNovaes: Thank you! I had the same smile while I was writing the story, so I get you. :) I will add more fluffy moments, but right now I'm focused on another part of the story. I know you want to read romantic scenes between the two of them, and you will have those too, but I'm planning on developing more interesting storylines. xD Thank you for your nice words, I really appreciate them. Right now I don't have a lot of free time to read fics, but I'll try to make that possible, even if that means sleeping less hours. :D Have a nice day!**

**Nae10: Thank you once again! I knew you'd like this fluffy chapter. I hope you like this one as much as the previous one. And I hope you don't hate me because I'm going to make you all suffer a little bit. I'm an evil person for playing with your Paily feelings, but it's who I am. :D**

**Del: Thank you! Surprising you is my goal. You know how much I like cliffhangers and surprises, so this was me teasing you… again. :D Answering to you all is the least I can do to thank you for your support. ;)**

**Saffyfan: Thanks! If my story makes your day a better day then it's worth to keep writing this. That was so nice of you. ;)**

**glorymania: Hi! You don't have to feel bad about that. As a matter of fact I really appreciate your honesty and I understand what you're trying to say. I may have rushed things because people were anxious to get them together, but in this chapter you'll see that not everything is so perfect. The kiss and the conversation was something I wanted to write so people had a smile on their faces after waiting for so long, because I owed you a happy moment. But this doesn't mean their problems are solved. I mean, Paige's reaction was unexpected because she just had learnt that she was having feelings for Emily, and she needed some time alone to think about that. Instead, Emily showed up and dropped the bomb and the kiss was like an impulse for all the emotions she had to manage through the day. It was too much for her to deal with. I don't know if I was clear enough, but I guess you'll understand what I'm trying to express once you read this chapter. Anyway, you know you can say whatever you want to, I won't get angry at you. xD I'm a pacific person, and I think that constructive reviews are the best ones to improve my story, so thanks. Have a nice day, Gloria! :D**

**cmart91cm: Wow, thank you! Your words make me so happy. :) There are a lot of authors that are a lot better, but I appreciate your kindness. Paige's reaction was really odd because she exploded after so many revelations on the same day. But in this chapter you'll see she's in a dark place once she realizes what being with Emily means. Here's another chapter, I hope you like it. Bye! :)**

**Cici: Thanks! And I'm pretty sure your roommates wouldn't think you're getting insane. xD The surprise has something to do with something that you mentioned, but I don't want to spoil you. :)**

**EchoEveMorrow: I don't know if it's still your birthday, but here's the update you were waiting for. Happy birthday! And I hope you have more presents, and not only this short update. xD **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 15: Falling apart**_

**Paige's POV**

I get up early and I go out for a walk before Emily wakes up. I start thinking about what happened yesterday and I start feeling overwhelmed. I don't know how I had the guts to kiss her, I still can't make myself to idea that I was brave enough to do that. It's the first time I do something like that, and now I'm starting to regret it. I mean, I like her, that's for sure, but when I think about dating a girl I can't help but crumble. I didn't have the chance to just stop and think about the consequences of being with her, but now that I give a serious thought, that might be a huge mistake. It's not that I don't want to, I don't care what people think about me. But if I think about how that surprising news will affect to my crazy family, I feel like this is too much for me to take. The decision is even harder when I think about the kisses. I've never felt better in my life, and I would like to taste her lips forever, but this is kinda hard. I knew I had strong feelings about her even before Jack told me the possibility of being in love with her, but I hadn't thought that I might like her romantically. When I was in high school, I had no feelings towards any guy, but at that moment I thought that my personal problems had to do with that. I didn't ever think that I might be gay.

Now that I think about yesterday, everything was so perfect, it was like a dream. I felt the urge to touch whenever I could, but today I feel the world falling apart. It's like I can't deal with it anymore. I can't cope with so many feelings. I keep thinking about everything that worries me while I continue walking at a quick pace. I don't have a destination, walking always had helped me in these kind of situations. Suddenly the sound of the phone ringing makes my mind stop from wondering and worrying. When I look at the screen I realize that I left the dorm one hour and a half before, so I've been walking since then. Then I look at the caller's name and my heart starts pounding. What the hell am I going to tell her? I know I said that I was going to surprise her today, but I'm not in the mood. I'm so fucked up. I accept the call doubtfully.

"Morning! Where are you? I was dying to have breakfast with you," she says cheerfully. I'm going to let her down again, hurting her has become my specialty, and I hate that.

"Hi. I'm just…umm… I went for a walk."

"Are you planning on coming here before first period?"

"I don't think so. You can go without me. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, fine. But I already miss you. And the wait for that surprise is killing me," she adds happily. I'm a horrible person, I don't deserve her.

"About that… Actually, I've got to work at the diner. I completely forgot that I had to, so that might be impossible. I'm sorry." All I can hear is silence on the other end of the line. I can't see her face, but I know what that silence means. I upset her. I made her a promise yesterday, when everything was sweet and perfect, and now I'm being a coward. I guess yesterday was so hectic that I didn't have the chance to think about how it would affect to my life.

"Oh, then… It's okay. When does your shift end? I could pick you up and we could go somewhere." Her voice tone has drastically changed. She's trying to conceal her disappointment by being nice to me, but I can tell that she's not happy at all.

"It's supposed to end at 5 pm, but I may have to cover a shift because one of my workmates is ill, so… I'm not really sure," I lie. This is stupid. She's my roommate, I will have to deal with her eventually, delaying that encounter is only going to make things more difficult between us.

"Paige, what's wrong?" she finally asks.

I sigh before answering. "I have to go now, but I'll see you later, okay?" I say skipping her tough question. I hang up before even giving her the chance to say goodbye. I feel terrible, but I always hated talking by phone, and even more if the talk is so serious. I'll have to speak with her, but it has to be done face to face. I put the phone inside my bag and I turn to go back to the dorm so I can have a shower and get ready to go to work. When I'm about to open the entrance door of my building, I hear my name.

"Paige, wait!" he shouts at me.

I turn around to look at him, he's approaching me.

"Hi," he adds while he stares at me regretfully. "I'm sorry, Paige. I was an idiot. I shouldn't have done that. I'm really sorry," he adds while he looks down.

"It's okay, Jack. I'm not angry at you."

"Really?" he asks rising his head to look me in the eye euphorically.

"Yeah, you can forget about that. You were a big mouth, but you're my friend," I add nicely.

"Thanks," he adds while he hugs me tightly. "I thought that I had lost you."

"Stop hugging me if you don't want to pass out. I must smell after walking for almost two hours, Jack," I joke. He grins from ear to ear after pulling away.

"So, where are you headed? I guess you're not going to class, right?" he asks ironically while he smiles. I shake my head while I smile back at him.

"I want to take a shower and then I have to go to the diner."

"Okay, then we'll see around," he says before turning around to make his way to class.

"Jack!" I shout at him. He turns to come closer to me. "You were right about it," I say shyly.

"You don't have to talk about it, Paige. Whenever you're ready, you know I'm here for you," he says nicely as he stares at me.

"Thanks for everything."

"I'm sorry, but I've got to go. See you later!" I say goodbye to him and I climb the stairs until I get to the exact floor. I open the door and I see that Emily already left. One hour later I'm at the diner, ready to work so I can stop thinking about her.

**Emily's POV**

Something is going on with her, and I don't like that even a bit. She basically hung up on me when I asked if something was wrong, so that means something is definitely wrong. I hope she's not having second thoughts about our "relationship", because after how sweet she was yesterday, I'd hate if she said that it was a mistake. However, I really didn't expect her reaction when I said I was in love with her. I mean, it was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, but she's so shy and after speaking with her this morning, it feels like she's not sure about her feelings anymore. Or maybe she's afraid of coming out. I don't know, but I need to see her. I spent all morning thinking about that and my friends realized that I am worried about something.

"Em, are you okay?" Hanna asks as she holds my arm while we walk down the hall.

"Yes, I am. I'm just a little bit tired, that's all," I lie to one of my best friends. I think I have improved my lying skills since my feelings for her got intense. I feel bad to lie to my friends, but that's all I can do for now. Once I'm positive Paige is really interested in me, I will tell them, but right now I have my mind focused on my roommate's bipolarity and doubts.

"Girls, I'm starving. I'd kill for a sandwich from that diner where your friend works," Spencer says with an excitement look. I look away to avoid her gaze. I don't think going to the diner right now is the best move. Considering that Paige is not having a good day, showing there with my friends may give her idea that I'm pressuring her. On the other side, I want to talk to her, and I don't want my friends to think that I'm avoiding dealing with my roommate. That would make them suspicious, especially since Spencer has superpowers to read people's minds.

"Great idea, Spence! I love that place!" Hanna says excitedly. They're both looking at me, waiting for my answer.

"It's fine for me." I add trying to hide my true opinion.

"Should we call Aria?" Spencer asks staring at both of us.

"She told me that she was meeting a friend for lunch, so that won't be necessary," Hanna answers to the question.

We make our way to the diner while my friends talk non-stop. I keep silent, I prefer to think about my plan to get to talk to her even if she's working. Once we enter the diner, I suddenly get really nervous. We take a seat and wait for a waitress to come get our order. When I turn my head to the right I see her smiling to her workmate. I love her smile, and everything else about her. When our eyes meet her face expression changes. I know that look, she's feeling awkward. I should have made an excuse to avoid this situation. I don't know, maybe I should have told them that I wasn't feeling well and that I needed to lay down. Instead, I'm here, in front of her, she's uncomfortable and I can't help but feel bad because I made this happen. Her workmate is also staring at us, and she tells Paige something that make her sigh. All of a sudden I can see she's approaching our table, her sight fixated on the floor. Her shyness is showing again. I can feel my heart pounding as she gets closer to our table.

"Hi," she says shyly, avoiding my gaze. "Do you already know what you're going to have?" she adds looking at my friends.

"Two BLTs with onion rings" Spencer adds excitedly. "One of them is for Hanna, of course," she specifies once she sees my look of surprise. I smirk at her.

"And one avocado cheeseburger with baked zucchini fries for you, right?" she adds. She looks at me for a brief moment, and then she looks away.

"Wow! That was impressive, Paige! I didn't know you knew Emily so well," Hanna says jokingly. She winks at her and Paige flushes.

"Yes, please," I add staring at her beautiful eyes. My cheeks are burning. It's the first time since I started coming here that she takes my order, but she already knows which hamburger I like. I can't help but love her even more. She obviously asked her workmates what I like to eat, 'cause I didn't tell her either.

"Okay. You'll have to wait 20 minutes. I'm sorry," she says with her husky voice. Spencer doesn't like that, but I can't help but smile at her, even if I'm hungry. She leaves our table and goes directly to the kitchen. I can't stay here and do nothing, there must be something I could do to talk to her face to face. Suddenly an idea occurs to me.

"I forgot to order french fries," I add as I stand up to go to the counter so I can speak with her.

"Em, I'm hungry, but that's too much food," I hear Spencer saying as I walk towards the counter. I know that, but this is the only excuse I could think of so I can speak with her in private, so I ignore my friend's opinion.

She leaves the kitchen and she is headed to another table, but I stop her. She didn't even see me coming, she was obviously concentrated on her work or she's just ignoring me.

"Paige, I don't know what is bothering you, but we need to talk. I know you're working, so we'll meet at the bathroom in five minutes. Please," I beg her with my good girl face. She just nods at me, and then she leaves pretending that everything is fine between us. Sadly, something is wrong, and it hurts like hell.

"Are you insane? French fries? I'm on a diet, Em!" Hanna says frowning at me.

"Come on, Hanna. You had bacon and brownies for breakfast. What kind of diet is that?" Spencer adds shaking her head. Hanna sighs, but I can tell she's laughing inside.

"I didn't order them," I clarify. They both frown at me, and I understand their reaction, because I'm just doing a lot of stupid things in a row. "She told me that it was a lot of food." Spencer looks me in the eye, trying to understand why I did that, but I look away. Of course she's suspicious, I'm acting like a crazy person.

"I have to go to the bathroom," I add a minute later after looking at my watch.

I make my way to the bathroom and give her a look before opening the door. There diner is so spacious that there are five toilets. The five of them are empty, the doors are open, so nobody will hear our conversation. That's good. I look at my watch again, I've been here five minutes and she didn't show up. I hope she doesn't leave me hanging. All of a sudden the door opens and I cross my fingers and hope for the best.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	16. No Fucking Way!

**Hi! I'm sorry for not updating sooner, but between work and my social life I barely have time to write. That's why I'm so glad that you keep reviewing and this story keeps getting favorited. xD Anyway, be patient, please, my adorable fans. ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Marmoreck: ¡Gracias! Es normal que sufras con Emily, porque está teniendo bastante paciencia con Paige. Entiendo que lo de Paige no haya gustado tanto, pero es lógico que dé un paso atrás, ya que todo ha pasado muy rápido. De todas formas no desesperéis, que va a haber un final feliz, pero en el camino tendrán que superar algunos momentos delicados. :)**

**Shayle-uk: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter as much as the previous one, because it comes with surprises.**

**Cony: Paige te está haciendo sufrir y lo entiendo. xD Tendrás que esperar un poquito para ver a Lucy, pero te aseguro que este capítulo es clave para saber más sobre la familia de Paige. ¿Esto era lo que llevabais esperando tanto tiempo, no? ¡Gracias por todo! Un abrazo. ;)**

**Dannyfmfvelez: I'm a construction engineer. And I know you're not a stalker, I was kidding. xD Thank you for offering your help. ;) Just so you know, I was craving a hamburger, so I get you. Thank you! Let's see if you like this chapter too. :)**

**EchoEveMorrow: You're welcome!**

**Cici: Paige is acting like that because she's afraid of the coming out. But she's into Emily, that's for sure. Emily is a saint, indeed. xD Thank you for reviewing!**

**Del: I knew this chapter would make you sad, that's why this chapter is happier. But I had to do that so the story was more credible. Paige had a hectic day and it is logical that she had doubts the day after. Remember they're meant to be. :) Thank you for your review! You're always so nice. ;)**

**Jamscottroc54: I was doubting between Lucy or Paige opening the bathroom door. Anyway, you'll see who surprises Emily. xD Hahaha. You're hilarious. Thank you! This chapter will reveal something involving Paige's family, so I guess you'll love it. Have a nice day! :)**

**saffyfan: It's going to be a happy story, there's no doubt about it. But you have to be patient. ;) I know it's agonizing, but that makes the story more interesting, right? xD Of course, Jack is going to be always there to support her friend. I love him too. :) Thanks!**

**Nae10: I love being evil, it's who I am. :D I know you want more Paily moments, but I don't want to rush things. They just kissed and Paige is having second thoughts. Anyway, I know you'll love this chapter, so I hope you don't end up hating me. xD**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 16: No Fucking Way!**_

**Paige's POV**

When I see her sitting at a table in the diner I get really nervous. I've been thinking a lot about my feelings about her and coming to work was supposed to give me a chance to disconnect, but I guess that won't happen anytime soon, because she's right here. I look away when our eyes meet. Our phone conversation didn't end well because of my cowardice and crappy attitude towards her and I feel a little bit ashamed. However, when she stops looking at me, I can't help but turn my gaze to admire her perfect body and her beautiful face. I don't know if she decided to wear that tight t-shirt on purpose, but she definitely got to catch my attention. It's a white v-neck t-shirt, and when I look at its neckline, I feel the urge to touch and caress that part of her body. Ignoring my feelings for her will be even harder than I imagined. I don't know if she read my mind, but she suddenly looks at me and my cheeks get red, even though it's almost impossible she noticed that I was checking her out.

I approach their table so I can take her order, I feel my heart pounding. I'm glad to see her, but after I broke a promise to her, I'm sure it's going to be a little bit awkward. Besides, her friends are there too, and I don't want them to realize the tension between us. Now that I think of it, I don't know if that tension is sexual or just awkwardness because of my sudden change of mind. I guess it's a combination of the two of them, and I don't like that sensation because it makes me feel vulnerable.

Emily's huge smile when I guess correctly her order makes me want to kiss her. I can tell she's happy, although she must also be a little disappointed at me. I don't deserve her, she's damn perfect and I'm a coward. In this particular case I decided to give preference to my family instead of the perfect girl that is right in front of me. My family has been through a lot and I don't want to rekindle negative memories. And I know that will happen if I start dating her. Even though I don't care about what other people think about me dating a girl, when it comes to my family everything is different.

"Wow! That was impressive, Paige! I didn't know you knew Emily so well," I hear Hanna saying while she giggles. Is she implying that…? Maybe Emily told them and she's being sarcastic. I don't like being like that, but I hope she didn't mention anything to them. I don't like keeping secrets, but this one is different, and I'd prefer if it was kept between us. I think I'm being paranoid.

I look at Emily and she's still smiling at me and she's blushing, but I look away when our eyes meet. I leave the table as soon as I can, I have to avoid this awkward moment. I head towards the kitchen and I feel instantly relieved. Hanna and her smile got me nervous. I start thinking about it and I realize that I'm being stupid. If she really knows what is happening between her friend and me I shouldn't care about that, right? I'm not a kid anymore, I have to be mature about it. I don't want my family to know, so I only have two choices: tell her that I don't want to be more than friends or be brave and do whatever makes me happy.

I grab a few cokes and when I'm about get to another table, I see her in front of me. She's standing there, staring at me and she clearly wants to talk. I nod at her, her perfume doesn't allow me to even say a word. This is going to be tough. Five minutes later, I see her opening the bathroom door and she makes me a gesture. I tell my workmate that I have to go to the bathroom, and just when I'm headed to the ladies bathroom I hear someone shouting my name.

"Paige! Can you come here, please?" Hanna shouts at me with a smile on her face.

"Here I am," I add kindly when I approach them even if I can't look her in the eye.

"I know you're working, but we wanted to talk to you about Emily," Hanna adds while Spencer nods. I don't know what they're up to, but I start feeling nervous.

"So…" I add doubtfully.

"Emily's being acting weird lately. We suspect that she's seeing somebody, but she's so secretive about the matter… Did she say something to you?" Spencer is staring at me, so I have to avoid the blushing or she may add two and two together.

"No… uh… I didn't notice she was acting differently. But… I think she's fine," I add shyly.

"She's not okay, Paige," Spencer adds frowning.

"I'm sorry, but I have to work. Maybe we can talk about this in another moment," I lie. I won't talk to them about this, I have enough to worry and I don't want to deal with them. Besides, they know we spend a lot of time together, so they could end up realizing that that person who is making her act differently it's me.

"Okay. We're sorry about this, but we're really worried," Hanna insists.

"Don't worry about that," I add as kindly as I can.

I turn around to head towards the bathroom. She must be wondering where I am. I open the door and she's standing there with a huge smile on her face. I won't get get bored of her perfect smile and her beautiful eyes looking at me like I was the most perfect human being on Earth. I still can't understand how she likes me so much, especially when I'm not acting like a decent person. I don't deserve her.

"Hi," I say shyly as I look away. "I'm sorry for the delay, but I had to deal with… It doesn't really matter," I add avoiding to mention what her friends told me.

"Come here," she says sexily. She holds my hand, she opens one of the bathroom's door and we get inside. She closes the door cautiously and she stares at me with that look that makes me want to touch every inch of her body. The space is so small that I can feel her breathing on my face. She puts her hands on my shoulders and she gets even closer to me. I am leaning on the wall, with my hands in my pocket. She's biting her upper lip and she giggles when she sees my cheeks are getting red and I keep staring at the floor. My heart pounds faster as she gets closer to me.

"Are you planning on telling your friends?" I shyly ask, avoiding her gaze.

"Yes, sure. But I'm not ready yet, and I guess you want to wait." She lifts my chin so I can look at her beautiful eyes. "Look at me, Paige," she says unexpectedly. I take a deep breath and I smile shyly. "That's way better," she jokes. She meets my gaze and leans in to kiss me, but I stop her.

"I'm sorry, but…" I start saying doubtfully. She frowns at me.

"What is going on, Paige? Are you having second thoughts?" She suddenly saddens, and I hate myself for making her sad.

"It's not that… It's just… but my family…." I start saying nervously before she interrupts me.

"Telling my family is going to be hard too, so we have the same problem." She is hurt, her face expression has completely changed.

"You don't get it. You don't know them, Emily." If she knew the truth, she would understand my crappy attitude.

"It terrifies me too. But, what about your feelings, Paige?" she asks staring at me. I look away, I'm such a coward. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want to be with me," she says harshly.

"Em, please, don't be like that." I can't say that, because I would be lying. My feelings for her are growing even faster that I could imagine. I need her, but it's way complicated.

She gets closer, she puts her hands on my waist and she kisses my neck. I feel shivers all over my body and my heart is about to explode.

"Are you trying to tell me that you don't want this?" she whispers sexily in my ear. 'Hot' is the only word that comes to mind when I feel her breathing on my ear.

"Stop, please," I add.

"You don't want me to stop. I know that," she says cockily, grinning at me at the same time. "And now comes the best part," she adds smiling at me before kissing me passionately. A moan escapes my lips, and I kiss her back while I pull her waist towards me, so I can feel her body on me.

"Emily, are you there?" Spencer's voice interrupts our kiss. We were so concentrated on making out that we didn't hear the door opening. I pull away and look at her nervously.

"Yeah, I am. I just… Wait a moment, Spence," Emily adds as she makes me a gesture to be silent.

"You've been here for 15 minutes and we thought that you may not feeling well or something." I don't even move a muscle.

"No, I'm fine. My mom called me and I was talking to her before peeing," she lies and winks at me. I smile lightly, she couldn't be more perfect. She opens the door and I hide behind it.

"Let's go," I hear Spencer say. I wait one minute and then I make my way to the kitchen. My workmates must be wondering where the hell I was. Actually, I was in paradise.

**Emily's POV**

I know she wants me, so that's the most important thing. She's panicking because of the coming out part, but that can wait. I mean, I also need time, and it all happened yesterday. There's no need to rush things. In the bathroom she said that she wanted me to stop, but I could tell she was dying to kiss me. She couldn't stop looking at my lips, and I knew exactly what I had to do to make her change her mind.

"Where the hell were you?" Hanna asks looking at me confusedly. Spencer and I take a seat and I can't help but smile when I think that I could tell them right now that I was at the bathroom kissing Paige. I'd love to see them looking at me open-mouthed as they heard those words coming out of my mouth. But I don't have the guts to be open about my new love interest.

"I was in the bathroom, but my mom called me. You know her, whenever she calls me she doesn't stop speaking," I lie while I roll my eyes to make the lie more credible. However, I have the feeling that Spence didn't buy my stupid lie. But the important thing is that she doesn't know that Paige was there with me.

All of a sudden I hear her sweet voice and I turn my head to admire her.

"Here you go, girls. Bon appétit!" she adds nicely when she puts our food on the table.

"Thanks!" we all say in unison. I can't believe that a few minutes before I was tasting those perfect lips. It's like I'm dreaming, 'cause yesterday this was something unimaginable. When she leaves, I get to smell her sweet perfume and it makes me smile like a fool.

"Delicious," Spencer adds when she gets a bite of her hamburger.

"There are no words to describe this." Hanna is enjoying her meal too, because she even closes her eyes and doesn't speak for a few seconds. That means that she's loving her lunch, because she's always speaking non-stop.

"Didn't you have breakfast?" I joke. They're devouring the food like this was their last day of their lives. They both giggle and continue eating, so there's silence for a brief moment.

I stop eating when my phone rings. My two friends look at me and I quickly look at the screen to see if it's Paige. I smile on the inside as I read her text.

"I end my shift in an hour. We can meet outside the diner if you want to. I know I'm a jerk, so I'd totally understand if you preferred to be with your friends or alone. I know I'm not the best company right now. –Paige."

A smile grows in my face when I finish reading her sweet text. I look at my friends from the corner of my eye and they're both staring at me, they're obviously eager to know more details about the mystery person that makes me smile that way.

"Okay, Em, spit it out. This mystery is killing us. Who are you dating?" Hanna likes to speak out plainly, she goes straight to the point. I usually like that about her, but right now I'm hating it more than ever. I flush, I didn't expect she would ask something like that. She caught me off guard. Furthermore, Spencer is looking at me thoroughly.

"Why do you think I'm dating again? I'm not, Hanna," I lie. I grab a few french fries and I continue eating, acting like nothing happened. I don't want them to suspect that someone is making me happy and changing my life for the better, because that would mean coming out and I need time.

"You give an excuse whenever we ask about what is going on with you. You were acting weird a few days ago and now you're smiling all day and you get that grin when you get those texts. It's not just a happy face, it's more like a 'I want to kiss you' face. And I'm not talking about the kind of kiss you'd give your mom, Em," Hanna adds grinning at me. I avoid her gaze, and I decide to look at my other friend.

"She's right, Em," Spencer says nodding at me. "We're your friends, we deserve to know the truth, don't you think? She's right, but it's not that easy. I'd love to be open about it, but this matter involves Paige too. I must be discreet.

"Okay, there's somebody, but… I'm not sure about it yet, so I can't give you details," I say shyly. I'm sure about my feelings, but I won't say her name yet.

"Do we know him?" Hanna adds grinning at me. "You can't just say that and think that we will stop asking questions."

"You don't know him," I lie. Well, I'm not really lying, 'cause there's no 'him'. "Can we speak about something else, please? I promise you I'll give you more details if everything goes as planned." They both nod at me, but I know they want to know more. But they're going to respect my decision, and I'm glad of that.

After paying our lunch, my friends go to their apartment. I tell them that I'm going to stay a little bit longer, and they start joking about my possible 'date with my boyfriend'. I don't say anything, they're actually not wrong. The only difference is that she's not a boy. I take out my book out of my purse and I start reading. Only ten minutes later someone touches my shoulder.

"I'm ready, let's go," she says with a straight face. I stand up and I follow her. "By the way, thank you for this. I don't deserve this kindness." Her shy smile gets to brighten my mood.

"It's always a pleasure to be with you, young lady" I add jokingly.

"Don't say stuff like that," she adds as she flushes. I laugh, I knew she would say something like that.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I ask when I see her get her car keys and open the door.

"Just get inside. It's just a road trip. I need to show you something." I frown, I don't like surprises. "I'm not a serial killer, just get inside, please," she jokes.

"Okay. But, can you at least give me a hint?" I hope my good girl face works this time.

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait." She nods at me and she smiles at the same time.

She turns on the radio and we spend the whole trip speaking about all kind of stuff. But she manages to avoid speaking about our relationship, so I don't pressure her. She slows down the car when we get to a neighborhood with a lot of huge houses. Well, let's just say that these aren't houses, but mansions. It's like that those celebrities' mansions that you see on TV and on magazines. She suddenly parks her car outside a huge white mansion.

"What are you doing? Why did you bring me here?" I ask looking at her perplexed.

"You remember that I told you that everything was harder because of my family, right?"

"Yeah, I remember that. So?"

"This is my house, Emily. I've always lived here," she adds avoiding my gaze.

"You're kidding, right?" She grins at me.

"No, I'm not."

"So you're saying that you are rich. I don't get why telling your parents would me harder than telling mine. Money has nothing to do with it." I can't believe she is rich. Then, why the hell is she working at that diner? And why did she hide that her family is wealthy? I have so many questions.

"I don't like people knowing that my family has money."

"I get that. But I still don't understand why it's harder for you to come out."

"I guess you also remember that I never told you which my surname is." I nod at her, but I'm completely lost. "My surname is McCullers, Emily." I'm perplexed, I look at her open-mouthed and she's looking away.

"No fucking way! Are you trying to tell me that you…" She nods at me before I finish my sentence. I'm in shock, this can't be happening.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	17. It Sucks

**Hi! I'm sorry it took me so long to update the story, but you know I'm busy. That's why I'm so glad that you keep reviewing and this story keeps getting favorited. xD Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter, because you will get some answers. Be patient for the next update, please. ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Shayle-uk: Thank you! I'm glad you like the story.**

**Dannyfmfvelez: I know I was evil with the bathroom scene, but there will be more of those coming, so don't worry about that. xD You'll get the answer of the McCullers' mystery in this chapter.**

**Marmoreck: ¡Gracias! Emily está siendo muy paciente con Paige, es adorable. Espero que este capítulo también te guste. :)**

**Paz23: Hahaha. Read this chapter and you won't be as lost as you were a week ago. xD**

**Jamscottroc54: Hahaha. Nick McCullers is her dad. LOL**

**Nae10: You know I love cliffhangers, and you love them too, admit it. xD This chapter is more clarifying, so I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you for reviewing. :D**

**PamyNovaes: Hahaha. I'm sorry that you had to wait so many days to know more about the McCullers, but here you go. Enjoy!**

**Guest: I'm glad you like the story. Thank you for reviewing, unknown follower. ;)**

**Del: The sexual tension is growing, and they can't stop it, so that's really interesting. In this chapter you'll finally know the whole McCullers mystery. :) Thank you for your nice words. Have a nice day!**

**Cici: I knew from chapter 1 that the surname would be the key, but I understand that you didn't give importance to that small detail. :) Spencer was a cooler, you're right! :D**

**Cony: Jajaja. ¿Nazis? ****Vaya ideas tienes. :D Sigue leyendo y sabrás qué pasa con su familia. ¿Mala, yo? xD Si quiero seguir manteniendo la historia interesante tengo que hacer estos giros de trama, aunque luego me odiéis por ello. :D ¡Un saludo!**

**MindFullofStories: You're not the only who's wondering what the hell is going on with Paige's family. Anyway, keep reading and you'll learn the truth. Aria was meeting a friend, I'm not going to give more details. LOL**

**saffyfan: Thank you! I'll have to write more bathroom scenes, 'cause you all loved it. :D I love your idea about the date, so I'll keep that in mind. Have a nice day.**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 17: It sucks**_

**Emily's POV**

"I can't believe it. You're not joking, right?" I repeat as I look open-mouthed at her. She shows me a shy smile.

"I'm not joking, Em. I think you deserve to know the truth about who I am." Her cheeks get red. "So?" she adds staring at me. I'm still in shock, so it takes a few seconds for me to speak again.

"I don't know what to say, Paige. Then, your dad is Nick McCullers, and your sister is Jessica McCullers," I ask with my eyes wide open. Her father is one of the richest man in the country, owner of McCullers Pharma, the most important pharmaceutical company in the world. About five years ago, he invested in a lot of foreign companies, but he took too many risks and the company went bankrupt. He even spent one year in prison because he had a lot of debts and couldn't pay for them. That was the only thing people talked about at that time. Television, newspapers, magazines… Everything had to do with the McCullers and their misfortune. To that, we have to add that her sister Jess was already famous for her never-ending parties and her mom was hospitalized because of a huge depression. So the youngest daughter, who never appeared in the media, moved in with her grandmother. So I guess that that girl, who was 15 at that time, is the same person that I fell in love with.

"And your mom…" I continue saying, but I stop right there because I suppose that's a delicate subjects, even if we are so close.

"She's better, now. But it's been tough, and sometimes I still worry about her." When I see her sad face I feel the urge to hug her and don't let her go, but I'm still processing the shocking information. "It's funny that you know so much about my life before I told you anything," she jokes.

"Even if I didn't want to, it's impossible not to know the story of the McCullers'." I smile back at her. "How did your parents manage to hide your real identity? I mean, I know your brother from the magazines too, even if he's so discreet. And of course, your sister…" She laughs when I mention her, because she definitely is the one who attracts more attention.

"I don't know how they got to keep me under the radar. I'm glad that they did that, though. Besides, you know I'm not a people person." She raises her eyebrows and I nod at her. "I was barely at home, I lived with my aunt and uncle for a long time too. My parents didn't want me to be here so paparazzis didn't have the chance to know who I was. That way I could live my life and they wouldn't be following me everywhere. I went to school to a different town, and most people there knew who I really was. They treated me differently, they did everything out of self interest. I hated that, it was so annoying. Being rich didn't mean that I wasn't like the other kids. They all wanted to be my friends, popular people invited me to parties, everybody wanted to go on a date with me…"

"I guarantee you that that last part had nothing to do with money," I add giggling at her.

"Thanks." She smiles at me and flushes. She's so cute when I compliment her.

"But everything changed when the company was going through a rough patch. People were so mean, you can't imagine how people reacted. And remember I was 15, so everything was even more difficult for me." I can't help hugging her when I see her sad face.

"I'm sorry. I just needed to do that," I affirm with my cheeks really red. Her smell always has that effect on me. It's like I'm addicted to her now that she seems to have the same feelings about me. Life couldn't be more perfect. Well, it could be even more perfect, because her personal problems are kind of annoying.

"It's okay. You know I love when you do that, Em," she admits with her shyness.

Suddenly her expression changes, she looks ahead and she frowns.

"Do you see that car over there?" she asks pointing at a black car that's parked on the street, just in front of her house.

"Yes, what's wrong with it?" I don't know why she's so annoyed.

"Paparazzi." She shakes her head angrily. "I'm so sick of them." She sighs, and I keep staring at her. "They're almost 24/7 right there, waiting for something to happen or someone getting out of the house so they take a picture. It doesn't matter if it's my dad, my sister or my mom, they just start asking stupid questions and taking pictures non-stop. And now that my sister is dating that guy… They don't leave her alone." She raises her eyebrows and sighs at the same time.

"I knew they must be a pain in the neck, but I didn't expect it would be so overwhelming," I admit.

"Well… You only see the pictures on the magazines, but people don't think about celebrities' patience with them. And I'm lucky they don't know who I am yet, because I'm pretty sure I would go crazy," she jokes. However, I know that she means that. I know her enough and I'm sure she wouldn't bear the fame and the constant harassment from the paparazzi. She couldn't handle it, she's too introverted, it would be too much for her.

"I can imagine how your life would change." She nods at me.

"That's why this is so difficult," she adds pointing at me. "If they figure out who I am, my life would drastically change. But…" I take a deep breath before continuing. "But if they know that I'm dating a girl… Then my life would be a living hell."

"Yeah, I guess," I add avoiding her gaze. She breaks the silence changing the subject.

"Let's go somewhere else, okay? There's no point in being here anymore." I nod at her and she smiles at me. I won't get bored of her perfect smile.

"Paige…" She turns her head to look at me.

"Yeah?"

"I'm curious… Why didn't you tell me this sooner? Did you really think that you having money would make me want to be closer to you?"

"No!" she adds emphatically. "I know that you're not a self-interested person, Emily. I just didn't want anyone to know who I am because I know what it's like when people act differently, and I wanted to avoid that."

"Okay. I just want you to know that I'd have fallen for you anyway." She smiles at me and I start caressing her neck while she keeps driving.

"You should stop doing that, I need to focus on the road, Em," she adds grinning at me.

"I can't help it," I say jokingly. "So, where are you going to take me?"

"I know a place where we can have a soda and talk before heading to college." She winks at me and she makes me curious.

"Where are you going to take me, McCullers?" I don't know if I will ever get used to her real surname. I'm with Paige freaking McCullers.

"Somewhere Jack and I used to go. I know it's not your scene, but it's a different place, so I hope you like it.

She stops the car and I follow her as she makes her way to a pub named "Steel & Fire".

**Paige's POV**

I look at her when we enter the pub, her surprised face makes me laugh.

"Go have a seat over there. I'll get the drinks," I add while I point at a table that's a little bit away from the other tables. I want a little privacy.

"Paige! It's been a long time!" Mike shouts at me from behind the bar. The blonde long-haired tall boy has been working here since Jack and I came the first time. He's very nice, and he's always smiling. I love people that are constantly smiling. Smiling is free and it makes a huge difference when you meet someone and that someone smiles at you. It's a simple gesture, but really effective. I approach him and he gives me a hug, I can see that Emily is analyzing the whole situation.

After a short conversation with Mike, I head towards the table where she's sitting. She's a little bit confused because of the place I brought her.

"Don't you like the place?" It's a heavy pub where I used to come with Jack. It's dark inside, but people that came here was so nice and didn't judge, so we spent a lot of time here. However, it's possible Emily doesn't like it. Did I screw this once again? "We can go somewhere else if you want to."

"No, this is great." She shows me a huge smile. "I've never been somewhere like this, it's so original," she adds while she takes a look at the decoration of the place with her eyes wide open. There are swords and guitars on the walls and a lot of candles on the tables. There are only four guys and two girls in the bar, but they didn't even pay attention to us. They just said hi and continued playing pool. This is one of the reasons why Jack and I kept coming here, people don't care about looks and they didn't treat me differently even though they knew I'm a McCullers. I've always loved this place, there's something about it that calms me down when I'm feeling nervous. The music is not very loud and they play heavy metal, but mostly ballads, so this is one of my favorite places in this town.

"I love it," she says as she admires the place and looks at the candle on the table. I look at her and she's even more beautiful when the candle light illuminates her face. Her beauty is so natural that I can't stop staring at her. "Did you come here a lot? The bartender knew your name, and he even hugged you," she says frowning.

"Yes, Jack and I had a lot of great times in this place. But if you don't like it you just have to tell me and we can go, Em," I insist.

"No way! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I love it, Paige."

"Acoustic Song" from Bruce Dickinson is playing right now. I turn my head to look at Mike and he winks at me. I love this song, and he knows it.

"So… I told you the truth. Do you want to know anything else? This is your chance."

She smiles at me, I know that face, she's eager to ask a ton of questions.

"Shoot," I say giggling at her.

"Is your sister really dating that famous quarterback?"

"Really? Are you kidding me? Come on! I didn't think that you were the kind of girl that was into reading gossip magazines and that kind of stuff." She starts laughing and I smile at her.

"Yes, I want to know if she's dating him. Sue me!"

"I don't know, Em. I didn't ask her."

"Come on! You must be curious. She's your sister."

"I don't care who she is dating."

"You're a real 'I don't care' sort of person, you know. And that makes you even more attractive," she adds while she holds my hand and starts caressing it.

"Stop doing that or I'll have to kiss you in front of everybody," I say staring at her. She gives me that sexy gaze and my heart starts pounding.

"You can't do that, McCullers," she says jokingly. And she's right, I can't do that. I look away and she lets go of my hand. "Paige, don't worry about that now. I know you have to be careful, there's no need to be open about it, okay?" she adds nicely. Perfection is the only word that comes to my mind when I look her in the eye.

"Thanks, Em. But I hate this. I can't be myself, and I hate that you have to pay the consequences."

"I want to be with you, Paige. Step by step, okay?" I give her a shy smile.

"Can I ask another question?" she says changing the subject. I nod at her.

"Why do you work at the diner? You obviously don't need to do that?"

"I knew you would ask that. I like to contribute on paying my college expenses. It's as simple as that. My family is rich, but that doesn't mean I can't have a job. I have two arms and two legs too. I'm just like you," I jokingly say.

"You're even cuter than me, and that is almost impossible," she says grinning at me, before I blush.

I look at my watch. It's true that time flies by when you're with someone that you really like.

"We should get going if we want to get there before it gets dark."

"Okay, let's go."

After saying goodbye to Mike we get in the car and I turn on the engine. I turn my head to admire her and she smiles at me.

"What?" she asks grinning at me.

I lean in to kiss her, putting my hands over her neck. She didn't see this coming, but she kisses me back. Tasting her lips make me forget about my problems. She's the solution to all of my problems, but she's also the reason of my worries. Why can't life be easier?

"You can't compliment me like that and expect not to get a reward." I can't help but have a huge grin on my face.

"Slow down, McCullers," she says ironically as she caresses my thigh.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	18. Midnight Call

**Hi! I'm sorry it took me so long to update the story, but you know I'm busy. I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**I'm sorry, but I don't have time to answer to your reviews, and I also had no time to revise the chapter, so it might have more mistakes than usual. But I wanted to publish this chapter so you don't forget about me. xD Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Be patient for the next update, please. ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 18: Midnight call**_

**Emily's POV**

I wake up when I hear the sweet smell of coffee. I open one of my eyes and I look at the alarm clock. It's time to get up and get ready for class, but I'm feeling really lazy today. I close my eyes again, but suddenly I smell Paige's perfume and a strong coffee smell. I open my right eye and I see her smiling at me.

"Morning! Are you going to stay all day in bed?" she jokes. She has a tray with two cups of coffee, two orange juices and two croissants.

"Is that for me?" I ask smirking.

"This? I was planning on eating everything, I'm starving," she jokes. I'm sure she doesn't imagine how much I love that evil smile.

"No way! Come here," I point at my bed. I want her by my side.

"Really?" she asks shyly.

"Don't be so shy, McCullers." I look at her face and she's smirking, she has red burning cheeks and she's staring at the floor. She suddenly leaves the tray on the bedside table, but she doesn't take a step forward. She's standing just a few inches from the bed, looking at me with a wide smile on her face. "Do I have to beg you?" I extend my hand to her and she holds it tightly. That simple touch makes me get nervous. I make room for her and she gets inside the bed.

"By the way, I was teasing you before, I wanted to buy you breakfast because you've been great since I told you that, you know…" she says avoiding my gaze. I, on the other side, I can't stop looking at her big brown eyes.

"You're adorable," I add as I get closer to her. I can hear her breathing, I'm looking her in the eye, and she's staring at me too. "What are you thinking about? I ask. She puts her hand on my cheek and she kisses me tenderly as I caress the back of her neck with my hands.

"I was thinking about how lucky I am to have you." I get goosebumps when I hear those words coming out of her mouth. I love her husky voice. I give her a shy smile and she continues speaking. "I mean, I can't believe you didn't freak out when I told you about my family. And you supported me even when I told you that I have to keep this a secret. I don't know how to thank you," she adds nicely.

"I can think of a few ways of thanking me," I add smirking at her. She flushes. That was my intention, 'cause I love the shiest side of herself.

She turns her body to look at me, she's looking me up and down. It feels great to see that she likes what she's seeing, 'cause I can't stop staring at her. She's my addiction.

She leans in to kiss me gently on my neck. She knows the exact place where she has to place her lips to make me quiver.

"Is this enough?" she whispers me in the ear.

"Well… you're doing a good job," I add smirking while I enjoy her kisses. She continues leaving a trail of kisses down my neck and she continues kissing me until she gets to my cheek and then my lips. She kisses me passionately until we're both breathless.

"This is amazing," she adds staring at me with a straight face. I can tell she's being sincere, because she doesn't usually talk about this kind of serious stuff. She actually avoids these types of conversations, so this is really great news. I don't know why, but I have this feeling that she's not so into me. Maybe I'm wrong about that, and I hope I am, because I don't want to lose her.

"You're amazing," I add before giving her a quick kiss.

"I think you should start eating breakfast or you'll be late to class," she says as she looks at her watch.

"Why do you keep doing that?" She looks at me with a surprised face expression. "You're always telling me to go to class, like you're taking care of me. However, you don't ever show up. And you keep acing your exams. Tell me your secret." She smirks at me and she ties her hair in a ponytail before answering.

"I guess I have photographic memory." She smiles at me. "I prefer to be self-educated, it's easier for me. I've always been like that. Why go to class when I can stay here and study less hours with the same result?" Oh, my God, she's perfect. I think I'm drooling over her right now. The cutest thing about it is that she doesn't want to say that she's so intelligent that she doesn't need to go to class, just like everybody else.

"So, besides being funny, hot and cute you're also a genius, right?"

She turns her head to look at me. "No, I'm not. It's all about concentration, you know? I can teach you the "McCuller's Method" for a reasonable price, just because it's you." I look at her and she's laughing. "So… aren't you hungry?"

"Yes, I am. But I will skip class today, so we don't need to hurry." She frowns at me. She definitely cares about me, but right now I need her more than attending to Calculus class. "You can show me how the "McCuller's Method" works," I joke. "Come on, Paige! Don't be a party pooper," I add while I caress her uncovered shoulder so she stops frowning.

"Do you remember how Spencer reacted the last time you did that? She didn't leave me alone, she blamed me for it and I don't want that to happen again." That's sweet, but I don't care about Spencer. I don't feel like going to class, and I'm an adult.

"I'll take care of Spencer, okay? Don't worry about that." She nods at me. She wants to spend the day with me as well, so it wasn't hard to make her change her mind. "Can you give me a croissant, please?" She places the tray on the bed between the two of us and we both start enjoying the delicious breakfast. This is like a dream come true.

"Thank you, Paige," I insist. I know I'm being repetitive, but I really appreciate what she's doing for me. I've tried to be understanding with her family troubles, so I guess this is her way of thanking me too.

"Thank you for everything, Em." I give her a smile and she winks at me. "So, what do you want to do? We have all day."

"I don't know. I'd really like to have a movie marathon. I feel like staying in bed, with YOU," I emphasize as she grins at me.

"Or maybe we could take my dad's jet and go wherever you want to." My eyes open widely and I stare at her.

"Are you serious?" She suddenly starts laughing loudly.

"So, you do really want me because of my money. I got you, Fields!" She keeps laughing at me.

"You're a jerk." I punch her lightly and she grins at me.

"Actually, we can do that, but maybe on a weekend, when we don't have to go to class," she clarifies.

"But you don't go to class on weekdays anyway," I tease her.

"Yes, you're right. But my dad doesn't know that."

"Just stop teasing me, okay? I know I'm a naive person, but you're not supposed to make fun of me."

"I wasn't kidding. We can take the jet, I have the pilot's number in here," she says with a wide smile on her face while she points at her phone. It's harder to believe that she's the daughter of one of the richest man on the country when I look at her old phone. I loved her about that before I knew the truth, but now that I know her real identity, it makes her an even more interesting person. She could have the most expensive cell phone in the world, instead she has a really old one.

"Can we watch a movie, please?" She gives me a kiss and I kiss her back. This time our tongues touch, and I can't describe the feeling of it, but it makes my heart pound.

"I'm curious about something." She pauses for a few seconds before speaking again. "Is this the first time you're with a girl? Because this is new for me."

"Yes, it is. But I kinda had the feeling that I liked girls. I mean, it's a long story and I don't want to bore you, but a few years ago I fell for a girl. But nothing happened."

"Why?"

"Like I said before, it's a long story. We have plenty of time for that. Now it's movie time," I add showing her a grin. She nods at me. I will tell her about Lucy, but right now I don't feel like remembering that story. I prefer to live the present and forget about the past. I don't like thinking about how things would turn out if it wasn't for a simple decision their parents made and we both had to accept. Anyway, destiny can be a bitch sometimes. However, this time, I have the feeling that everything is going to turn out fine.

**Paige's POV**

I think I'm falling for her. I still can't believe that my life has changed so much in a few days. But this change feels great. However, I still can't stop thinking about my parents' reaction when I tell them that I'm dating a girl. I know my dad is going to freak out. The good news is that people don't know who I am, so as long as I'm an anonymous person, everything is going to be fine. I won't have to worry about anything. This day turned out to be perfect. Doing such a simple thing like watching movies while she cuddles with me in bed feels amazing. I know that the only difference about this same plan with another person is the company, that's why I'm enjoying it. Although I love Jack I know I couldn't stand spending such a long time with him, because he's so annoying when we watch movies. He's like the type of guy that won't stop speaking during the movie. But Emily is different. She's just… perfect. The feeling of her breathing on my neck, the caresses on my arm, her kisses… She makes my day.

We ordered pizza for lunch and now it's almost dinner time. I can't believe we've been all day watching movies. Time flies when I'm with her. I don't want to eat pizza again, so I get dressed and I go get some takeout food to the diner. Besides, I called ten minutes ago, so when I get there I just have to get the food and come back with her. I go downstairs and head towards the diner at a quick pace. I want to get back to the dorm as soon as possible. When I leave my workplace I hear Hanna's voice. _Shit! Not now._

"Paige, wait!" She runs towards me.

"Hi," I add nicely, even though I just don't want to have this conversation. She's Emily's friend after all.

"Do you know where Emily is? I didn't see her all day and she's not answering the calls." She's worried, so I will just say that she's fine and end of the story.

"She didn't feel like going to class, so she stayed at the dorm. But she's fine, Hanna."

"She's acting weird again. She always picks up the phone." Her face is getting really serious. I mean, Hanna is not like this, or so I thought, because she's always joking. "Just tell me what is going on, Paige. You obviously know something I don't." I look away, I just need time to give her a convincing answer. However, I fail miserably, because I can't even look her in the eye, and she realizes I'm hiding something.

"I'm sorry, Hanna, but I have to go. But I assure you Emily is fine. She was having a lazy day, that's all." I smile at her, but she's still frowning at me.

"Okay, Paige. Thanks," she lies. She knows I'm not telling the truth, but she decides not to insist. "Good night."

"Night, Hanna." I make my way to the dorm after saying goodbye to her. I hate awkward situations, and with her friends it's always like that.

When I get to the dorm I explain Emily that Hanna is worried. I convince her to call Hanna, so she stops worrying. Then we have dinner while she talks about her childhood. I didn't expect her to be a swimmer. We spend hours talking about our childhoods, and she pays a lot of attention on my story although she almost knows a lot about my life because of the magazines.

Suddenly my phone rings and Emily frowns at me, because it's 1 AM. My heart starts racing, because the first thing that comes to my mind is my mom. Something bad must have happened, because it's very late. I grab the phone and look at the screen. It's Jess. I press the green button and wait for her to speak, I'm just too nervous to even open my mouth.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	19. Not Now

**Hi! I'm sorry for the delay again, but I have not a lot of time to write. I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**I'm sorry, but I don't have time to answer to your reviews once again, but I wanted to publish another chapter so you don't have to wait anymore. I hope I have time to comment your reviews next time, but right now I need to sleep. xD Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Be patient for the next update, please. ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 19: Not now**_

**Paige's POV**

"Hey, Paigey!" Jess says excitedly. I'm still speechless, she doesn't seem to be preoccupied at all, but I'm still scared.

"Is mom okay? Did something happen, Jess?" I ask worryingly. Emily is staring at me, eager to know why my sister is calling me at 1 AM.

"I guess so. Last time I checked she was okay." She's stammering. "Alcohol happened, Paigey," she adds laughing loudly.

"Are you drunk, Jess?" I frown at Emily, because she can't help but smile when she realizes that nothing bad happened. I'm relieved too, but this is unacceptable.

"Me? Drunk? Why do you say that?" She continues laughing, I'm starting to get mad at her.

"You scared me to death, Jess! Where the hell are you?"

"My little sister is telling me off. I can't believe it. I thought you were fun." I know she's making fun of me, but I'm a little bit pissed. I look at Emily and she's making me gestures with her hand. I suppose she wants me to calm down.

"Are you going to tell me why you are calling me?"

She laughs again before speaking again. "I'm here."

"Here? Where the hell is here?" I'm yelling, so Emily makes the previous gesture again. The smile on her face makes me smile at her, she always manages to soothe me. I smile shyly and she makes her way to the bathroom. When she walks by me she slaps my butt and she gives me that sexy look I love. I flush and she grins at me.

"Here, Paige." She hangs up the phone on me after saying those words.

I call her but she doesn't answer the phone. She's wasted, and I don't know where she is, so I'm clearly worried about her. Emily gets out of the bathroom and comes closer to me, hugging me from behind.

"What did she want?" She whispers me in the ear while she hugs me tightly. I keep calling her, but she still doesn't pick up the phone. I hate when she gets into trouble and involves me in her crazy life. Sometimes I think that I'm more mature than my older sister.

"She's drunk, and I don't know where she is. She always does stuff like this, and I'm sick of it."

"I'm sure she's fine, Paige. She's not a child, she'll take care of her."

"I'm not so sure about that." I keep pressing the dial button, but she is ignoring me.

"Do you know that you are even sexier when you're mad," she whispers in my ear before leaving a trail of kisses on my neck. I turn around and look her in the eye. She places her hands around my neck and smirks at me.

"You know you're irresistible, right?" I ask her before kissing her passionately as I place my hands on her waist.

A knock on the door interrupts our kiss. I look at Emily, my hands still on her waist, and she frowns at me.

"No way!" I add as I shake my head. "This can't be happening." I make my way to the door and I take a deep breath before opening it, because I know that what will come next won't be easy to handle.

**Emily's POV**

I'm glad nothing bad happened, but when I see Paige's face, I see nervousness on her face.

"Paigey!" her sister shouts excitedly while she hugs my girlfriend. It's funny to see the differences between the two of them, because her sister is hugging her tightly and she's super happy and Paige is looking so serious.

"What the hell, Jess?" She's not yelling because she knows that people may be sleeping, but she's pissed, I can tell. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here." Her sister still has a smile on her face, but I guess that's because she's so wasted that she doesn't realize Paige is really mad at her.

"I came to visit my little sister. Is that a crime?" Paige shakes her head. I'm standing in front of them but it's like I'm invisible. They continue with their conversation without even noticing that I'm there. I suppose that means that Paige trusts me enough to be part of the conversation, so that's a good thing.

"You know that I want to keep living my life, so if you come here… You know, people will know who I am, and… my life will be over." She looks away. She tried to hide her identity and I understand why she's upset. But I'm pretty sure her sister didn't do that in purpose. I mean, I don't know her, but she seems cool, and she obviously loves Paige.

"I'm sorry, but… I don't have a place to stay and I wanted to go to a hotel, but I lost my wallet and… I'm sorry," she insists as she stares at the floor, avoiding Paige's look. I look at Paige and her face expression suddenly changes. She might still be mad at her, but she's feeling sorry for her now.

"Did you come here with your friends, or that boy that…?" Paige asks shyly, but she stops when she gets to the boy part. Her cheeks are bright red. It's so cute that she is so shy even if she's talking to her sister.

"I was with my friends, but they all left and suddenly I was alone. I don't remember what happened." Paige sighs, shaking her head at the same time. She raises her sister's chin, so she looks her in the eye.

"Jess, how many times did I tell you that those girls aren't your friends? They left you alone when you needed someone to take care of you. Don't go out with those bitches anymore, okay?" Okay, sexy Paige is making its appearance, right now I just want to kiss her. But she has other matters to handle, and those are more urgent I guess.

"Thank God I have you," she says smirking at Paige.

"You're lucky, indeed," Paige jokes as she hugs her.

"Okay, I think I'm going to faint. I need to lie down, Paige." It was a miracle that she was standing, because she is so wasted.

"It's okay, I'm holding you." I approach them to help Paige carry her sister to her bed. She gives me a smile and she mouths the words "Thank you". I smile back, and I look at her sister, but it's practically impossible she notices "our thing", she must have drunk all the alcohol within a mile radius.

"I'm going to go get a bottle of water from that vending machine outside, okay? I'll be back in five minutes. Don't move," she teases her.

"I can't move, even if I wanted to, dummy." They both laugh before Paige leaving the dorm. She looks at me for a few seconds before closing the door, and I nod at her.

"I will just… uh… go to my bedroom so you can rest a little bit, okay? If you need anything just call me."

When I'm about to stand up and head to my bedroom, she holds my arm and I turn to look at her. "Can you stay, please?"

"Okay, sure," I add as I sit down on Paige's bed, next to her.

"By the way, I'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm sorry for my rudeness, but I was concentrated on keeping my balance." It's amazing that she is in such a good mood even though her "friends" abandoned her and she's totally drunk.

"I obviously know who you are, so you can skip the introduction part," I joke. A smile escapes her lips. "I'm Emily, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Emily. I'm sorry for the inconvenience, I really am."

"It's okay. These things happen. Actually, the same thing happened to me a few weeks ago, and your sister took care of me."

"So she's drunk people's guardian angel." I laugh at her comment.

"Yeah, you could say so. I still can't believe I'm talking to you," I admit. I know she's Paige's sister, but having her in front of me after seeing her so many times on TV and magazines shocks me.

"I'm just like you. Well, no, you're not, I suppose you're more mature than I am."

"I have my moments." She laughs at my last words.

"So, you must be special for my sister if she already told you who she is."

"Well… yeah… I guess so." I say a little bit nervous. "I share the dorm with her, so maybe that's why she told me everything," I lie.

"I have to ask you something before my sister gets here," she says smirking. My heart starts pounding. I'm almost sure she doesn't know about our relationship, but I can't help but feel nervous because I'm not ready to do this. The uncertainty is killing me. I nod at her. "I'm just curious about that long-haired guy and my sister. They're dating, right? They have been inseparable for a long time, but my sister is so introverted that she doesn't speak about it."

"Jack? No, they're not a couple," I add with a smile on my face. "They're just friends."

"Are you sure? There must be someone else, because she is just perfect. I can't believe people didn't notice how beautiful and intelligent she is." Of course people noticed about her perfection, but I can't tell her that. It would be too obvious.

"Well… I think she's single, but I can't tell for sure. You'll just have to ask her," I say avoiding to go into detail about her love life.

Suddenly she opens the door and gets inside with a bottle of water in her right hand. She stares at us and frowns, because we both went silence when she entered the dorm.

"Did I miss something? I have a feeling that you were you talking about me." She approaches us and gives the bottle to Jess.

"Actually, we were talking about your love life," Jess adds after having a long sip of water.

Paige looks worried, and she stares at me, but I shake my head. I want her to know that I didn't say anything.

"I don't know why you insist on that, Jess. If there's someone special in my life, you'll be the first person to know," Paige says staring at me, even if she's talking to her sister. I'm glad that she's wasted, because if she wasn't under the effects of alcohol, I'm sure she would have realized something odd between us. "And… It's getting late and you need to rest, so just shut up and sleep," Paige adds grinning at her sister.

"You'll have to share the bed with your sister, just like old times," she giggles. "Or you can sleep with your roommate, if that's okay for Emily." I suddenly blush, and I look at Paige and she seems really nervous.

"No, it's okay. I don't want to lose sight of you. I know you're capable of leaving in a few hours," she adds, trying to get out of trouble. Jess laughs and takes another sip of water.

"Well… Good night. I need to sleep too, so... I'll leave you two alone," I joke. "Sweet dreams," I add staring at my girlfriend. She winks at me, and I can't help but smile at her.

"Good night, Emily," they both say in unison.

After a few hours of sleep, I wake up when I hear my phone vibrating. Another text from Hanna. I don't go to class one day and they don't leave me alone. They think that something is going on with me, so I guess they have the right to be worried about me. Anyway, it's still kind of annoying, even if they're trying to help me. I don't read the text, because I'm too tired, so I close my eyes again and try to continue sleeping. A few minutes later, I hear someone knocking on the door. I jump out of bed, and run towards the door.

"Emily, it's me!" Hanna says from the other side of the door. I turn around to look at Paige and Jess. They're both awake, and Paige is shaking her head.

"Don't let her inside. If she sees her, then…" she adds worryingly pointing at her sister.

I open the door, because I know Hanna won't leave, she's very insistent.

"Morning!" I add, opening the door just a little bit.

"What is going on with you?" She frowns at me. She's mad at me.

"Nothing. I'm fine, Hanna. This is not the right moment, though. I will call you later and we can meet to grab a coffee."

She smiles at me and I don't know what is going through her mind. "Do you have a boy in your bedroom? I got you, Em!" she yells with her eyes wide open.

"No, it's not that, Hanna. It's just…" I start saying, but she manages to get inside before I can stop her.

"What the fuck is she doing here?" She's flabbergasted. Seeing a celebrity in my bedroom made her speechless. So I suppose that I will have to explain her everything, even if Paige didn't want anybody to know that she's a McCullers.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	20. Not so Anonymous After All

**Good night! I'm so sorry for being missing, but I barely have free time. I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**This chapter was so fun to write, and I think you'll enjoy reading it as well. Besides, you deserved a goop chapter after waiting for so long. :(**

**Be patient for the next update, please. ;) Thanks! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**saffyfan: Thank you for your nice words. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter. I think their relationship is really growing, even though they have those problems, but they're definitely in love with each other, so that's the important thing. Hanna is going to be a good friend, she doesn't want to hurt Paige, even if she loves gossip. xD But her reaction will be very original, because we're talking about Hanna. :D**

**getlostandruncici: First of all, I love your 'new' nickname. :D Secondly, thank you for reviewing. I love Jess' and Paige's interaction too, because they're so different but they get along. And the same thing happens with Hanna and Paige too, because they're just the opposite. Paige will come out to her sister soon, and as you said, Jess is going to be cool about it, of course. :) Paige's reaction to Hanna knowing will be very typical of her, you just have to keep reading. :D**

**Del: Thanks! You're right about the McCullers' not having a clue about their daughter's life, because they've been absent for a long time and since Paige is not a problematic person they just think that everything is fine with her. But Paige needs some support too, even if she's a very independent person. And when everything falls apart we will see if her family is able to meet the challenge.**

**Jamscottroc53: Hahaha. Yes, she's been exposed and everything is going to get interesting now. Let's see if Paige freaks out and if Emily is still so patient with her girlfriend. xD Thank you for reviewing. ;)**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 20: Not so anonymous after all**_

**Paige's POV**

"I told you not to let her in, Emily!" I am hurt. I wanted to avoid this, and now another person knows my real identity. I don't think Hanna will say anything, but it's still risky. I know the only person to blame is my sister, she's the one that came here knowing that there could be consequences, but she was drunk. Emily is not the one to blame though, she was trying to help me, and my reaction was not okay. She's giving me a sad look. "I'm sorry, Em. I didn't mean to… This is not your fault."

"I'm sorry," she says staring at me.

"No, I'm sorry. It's just that, you know, I wasn't expecting this." She smiles at me and I feel butterflies in my stomach. She makes me happy with a simple smile. If Hanna and my sister weren't here right now, I'd kiss her. She deserves the best in the world for being a perfect human being.

"Can you two just stop apologizing and tell me what the hell is happening here? You're killing me," Hanna adds still shocked because my sister is in my bedroom. I know she's really famous, but it's still weird when people freak out because of her presence.

"Hanna, this is my sister, Jess." I look at Emily and she's laughing hardly, because Hanna's eyes are about to pop out. Jess is grinning at her too.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Are you serious? Your sister?" She points at her and then she stares at me and then again at her, like she's trying to see the resemblance. "Emily, she's teasing me, right?" Emily shakes her head and Hanna closes her eyes and opens them again, like she's proving that she's not actually dreaming.

"I know this must be shocking, but I'm a McCullers," I add smiling at her.

"I have a rich friend, I can't believe it," she says grinning at me.

"I don't know you, but I like you," Jess adds staring at Hanna. I'd never thought about it, but they could be good friends, they are similar.

"Why did you hide it, Paige?" Hanna asks staring at me. "How long have you known, Em?" She gives a look at Emily and my girlfriend grins at her.

"I like to go unnoticed, that's the only reason why I didn't say anything."

"She told me about it just a few days ago, but we would… I mean… She'd appreciate if this was something between us," Emily says nervously. That's so cute, because what she just said made me realize that she's treating me like her girlfriend, like we're a package, and I love it.

"I'll keep quiet, even though this is going to be really hard. Not even Spencer?" She raises her eyebrows, waiting for my response.

"Only Spencer, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks! I would die if I had to hide her this huge bomb. But I assure you she won't say a word. Besides, we know who it would be like if the media found out that the youngest McCullers is really you. I guess you know that paparazzi would kill to give this exclusive."

"Yes, that's why I want to avoid the media to know," I say nodding my head.

"So, this is why you were acting weird? I mean, you had to keep this secret to us." Hanna turns her head to look at Emily.

"Yeah. Well… Yes, that's possibly… I mean, this is huge, right?" Emily says nervously, avoiding Hanna's gaze. Jess is frowning, she realized that wasn't really the reason why she "was acting weird". Anyway, she doesn't have a clue of what is really going between us, so I won't get worried about that. She's clueless, for now.

"I'm sorry to interrupt this interesting conversation, but I need to go home, have a shower and sleep more, because my little sister here was taking up the whole bed, so I didn't sleep much." I grin at her. I miss her a lot, she's always joking, and she makes me laugh, even when I'm feeling down. She goes to the bathroom, washes her face, hugs me and then the girls, and leaves waving at us. She's in a good mood, although she must be so hangover after last night hard party.

"So…" Hanna adds smiling at me. "I'm hungry. Breakfast? Maybe Spence wants to join us. Paige will pay for it, right?" She teases me. I smile.

"Are you going to be that kind of friend?" I joke. Emily's looking at us, and she's smiling. Her friends are very important to her, so I always tried to get along with them. It's not hard though, because I really like them. They were always so nice to me. I hope that nothing changes once they find out that I'm dating their friend.

We sit down at the corner of the café and Hanna is still staring at me and smirking.

"Okay, Hanna, stop, please. It's me, Paige. Nothing has changed." I don't like being the center of attention, and right now I feel like it's happening. I know Hanna doesn't do it to bother me, but it's actually bothering me. Emily gives me a look and I suddenly understand that maybe I was rude, but I can't help it.

"I'm sorry. It's just… amazing. I will stop looking at you. Sorry," she insists. I give her a shy smile and Emily laughs lightly.

We order breakfast and when the waitress leaves, a huge silence pervades the place. I don't have anything to say, it's awkward to be with Hanna now that she knows the truth. With Emily everything is different, more natural.

"Can I just ask you a question? I know you don't feel like talking about it, but I'm curious. I'm sorry, Paige," she adds with a grin on her face.

"You will ask the question, no matter what I say, right?" I joke. She nods at me. "Okay, then just be quick."

"Why are you working at the diner?" Emily laughs and Hanna frowns at her.

"Emily asked the same question," I add looking at her while I raise my eyebrows. "I like to pay for my expenses. It's as simple as that."

"I guess it makes sense because I know you well enough. That makes you even more interesting. I mean… wow." Emily laughs again.

"She said the exact same words." But in Emily's case she meant something different, something deeper I guess. I grin at her and her brown eyes and her stare make my heart beat faster. I'm so lucky to have her.

Suddenly Hanna turns her head to look at her flatmate, who's entering the café at this moment while she carries a big stack of books.

"Why do you have so many books?" Hanna asks when she and sits down next to her after she says hi and leaves the books on the table.

"I like to read, Hanna. I thought you knew me," she says ironically.

"She seems clever, but she's dumber than me. Don't let yourself be fooled by her aristocratic pose," Hanna adds grinning at me. She's staring at me and moving her head to the side, where Spencer's sitting. I nod at her and she gives me a huge smile.

"Just do it, Hanna. I have the feeling that you'll be the first person in the world who dies of nervousness if you keep your mouth shut five more minute," I joke.

"What are you two talking about?" Spencer asks opening her eyes widely. She seems like the kind of person that it's not interested in gossip, but her eyes are going to pop out, so she's indeed curious about it.

"Spencer Hastings, this is Paige McCullers, daughter of McCullers Pharmaceutical's owner. You know, that rich guy," she emphasizes while she laughs at her friend and points at me.

I can't help but laugh when I see Spencer's astonishment look.

"No, you're not…" She pauses and stares at me. "Are you really…? I mean, she's joking, right? She's always saying that kind of stupid things to mock me." She has an astonished look, she obviously didn't see this coming.

"No, Spencer. She found out today and she couldn't just hide it from you, you know her inability to keep a secret." Spencer is shaking her head, she's still in shock.

"And why did you…?" She pauses a few seconds and then continues speaking. "Okay, I get it. You didn't want people to know. It's understandable. I don't know what to say," she admits.

"You don't have to say anything at all. I hope everything stays the same." She nods at me. I knew she would be that understanding, and I really appreciate it. All of a sudden I feel the touch of Emily's hand on my thigh. She starts caressing my thigh under the table, and my cheeks turn red. My breathing accelerates and the blushing on my face gets more intense when her hand gets closer to my inner thigh.

"Why are you laughing, Em?" Hanna asks when she sees that Emily is grinning.

"It's nothing. Spencer's reaction was very funny. That's all." She's lying, she is laughing because she loves that she drives me crazy.

"Did you see a phantom, Paige?" Spencer asks as she gives me a strange look. "I should be the one who's freaking out, not you." She grins at me, but I don't say anything. My heart is about to explode, if Emily keeps touching me like this I don't know if I'll be able to pretend that nothing is happening. And I hope nobody is watching what is happening under the table.

When her hand is getting closer to the sensitive area, a call interrupts our steamy moment. My cell is ringing, but Emily doesn't stop. I hold Emily's hand and she pulls her hand away. I look at the screen and I see that my sister is calling me. I hesitate for a few seconds, I'm nervous. I don't know why she's calling me. Hanna and Emily are staring at me, but I'm concerned, because she doesn't usually call unless something is going on. She doesn't like talking on the phone. Or maybe she just wants to talk. I hate when I start to think about this kind of things and I freak out without a reason. I press the green button and I take a deep breath before opening my mouth.

"Is everything okay, Jess?" The girls are paying more attention now that I mentioned her name.

"Paige… I… I'm sorry." I frown, I don't know why she's apologizing, she apologized before, there's no need to do that again.

"Are you okay, Jess? Where are you?"

"I'm fine. I'm home. But there's something I need to tell you, because it seems like you didn't find out that..." She pauses and I frown. Bad news, like I expected. "There was a paparazzi on campus, Paige. I suppose they followed me yesterday when I went to your dorm, and… they waited for me, so they suspect that you study there. I'm sorry, Paige."

"Are you fucking kidding me? Because I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"But they don't know it's you, Paige. They just suspect that you might study there. And that university is huge, there are lot of people. It's practically impossible to…" she starts saying before I hang up on her.

"What's going on, Paige?" Emily asks. She's worried about me, but I don't want to talk about it. I just need to go get some fresh air, I need to be alone.

"I'm sorry, girls, but I need to leave. I will talk to you later, okay?" I tell Emily before grabbing my bag and heading to the exit door. She doesn't say a word, but she clearly didn't like my behavior. I know I'm a fucking coward, and that that was wrong, but I need to do this. If I stay here I won't feel better and I'll only bore them with my family stuff. It doesn't make any sense.

I start walking with no particular destination in mind. I only want to clear my mind, forget all my problems. I'm stupid, I always run away from the people who want to help me when something is bothering me. Although my main problem is that the media knows that I'm studying at this college, I can't stop thinking about Emily. I walk for about two hours, but it starts raining heavily, so I turn around and start running so I don't get wet, but I fail miserably. When I open the door and get inside, Emily is standing right in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Paige. It's all over the Internet, but they don't know yet that you…" she starts saying while she frowns her eyebrows. I wasn't nice to her, but she's still talking to me. She's so cute.

"I'm sorry for being a jerk." My voice falters.

I approach her, I look her in the eye and when she's about to say something I place my index finger on her lips.

"Don't speak, just kiss me." I can smell her scent and I hear her breathing.

"You're soaked, you're going to catch a cold," she says with that sexy smile spreading on her beautiful face while she caresses my wet hair.

"I don't care. I just want to finish what you started earlier." Her eyes are shining and she can't help but grin at me.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she teases me, before she pulls away when I lean in for a kiss.

"I can show you." She giggles.

I kiss her passionately while I caress her back under her t-shirt. Our clothes disappear a few minutes later and we end up in bed. Her caresses, her touch and her kisses drive me crazy, her moans turn me on, everything is just perfect. The best night ever, I have no doubt about that. This is what I needed. Being with her makes my problems go away, although I know the problem won't disappear so easily. However, if she is still there for me, I'm sure I will be able to handle this mess.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	21. This Is Too Much

**Good night! I'm so sorry for the delay, guys. I have a very tight schedule, but I always try to make time for you. ;) I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**This chapter was so fun to write, and I think you'll enjoy reading it as well. It's very short, but it's the only thing I can offer you for now. xD**

**Be patient for the next update, please. ;) Thanks! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Guest: Thank you so much. I'd like to update the story more often, but it's really difficult. Even if I publish less than I'd want to, I'm glad you're enjoying it. :)**

**keekee4ever: Thank you for your nice words! I appreciate your enthusiasm. LOL I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I'm pretty sure you'll love it. ;)**

**Del: So you want the girls to know about their relationship… Interesting... :D They will know eventually, but you'll have to wait. Hiding their relationship makes the story more interesting, don't you think so? I mean, it can be more interesting for the person who's reading. I have other things in mind, you know. xD Emily is being so cute, you're right about that. As for the reporters, I guess you know that they will know the truth eventually, but you will see how everything turns out. Thank you for reviewing once again. Have a nice day! ;)**

**PrettyLittleVeg: Thank you! They're both so cute. :D**

**Jamscottroc54: You want them to know so you can see Paige's reaction. It's totally understandable. xD Just wait a little more, you'll like the cliffhanger. :D And thank you for your comment! :)**

**saffyfan: Aria will know eventually. Remember that Hanna and Spencer found the truth about Paige the day before, so they didn't have the chance to meet Aria. But they will tell her too, just as they told Spence. Jess is awesome, but she really screwed up this time. :( Hahaha. I hadn't thought about Nick McCullers yet. But I don't think he will be a homophobe. Let me think about it. xD**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 21: This is too much**_

**Emily's POV**

I open my eyes and a smile enlightens my face when she wakes me up by kissing my neck. I can't think of a better way to start the day. I turn to look at her and I hold her waist under the sheets, her skin is so soft.

"Good morning, honey," she softly says before kissing me. "Are you okay?" You seem surprised." I melt with the look she gives me before she moves a lock of my hair aside so she can kiss me again.

"I'm happy. I still can't believe that I'm here with you. It's just…" I pause for a brief moment, trying to find the exact words that describe the way I'm feeling right now. "… amazing," I add, although that adjective doesn't begin to describe how glad I am and how lucky I was to meet her.

"You are amazing, Em. I am the lucky one," she says shyly. It's impressive how shy she is sometimes, because she seemed a totally different person when she got here and eagerly undressed me yesterday.

"So… yesterday… you were…" I start saying before she interrupts me.

"Weird?" She lets a smile escape her lips.

"Hot," I add with a huge grin on my face while I caress her cheek. She starts to blush and avoids my gaze. It's like she doesn't understand how she makes me feel yet. She drives me crazy and I have a feeling she doesn't think my feelings for her are so strong.

"You were angry, it's totally understandable after everything that happened yesterday."

"Yes, I know. But I left the café without giving any explanation of what was going on. You are my girlfriend after all, you deserve more than that shitty behavior. I'm sorry," she insists, giving me that "good girl" look that I love so much.

"You don't need to apologize, Paige." I look her in the eye and she raises her eyebrows funnily. "If you acting like that had anything to with what you did to me last night, then I'm not angry at all," I add with a huge grin on my face.

"Don't say that," she says with her face redder than a tomato and looking away as shy as ever.

"I'm serious, don't be so shy, dummy. You have to admit the fact that you're fantastic in bed," I joke, although I really think so. She looks me from the corner of her eyes and then turns her back on me. "Are you serious?" I ask before getting closer to her and start tickling her, because I know how sensitive to tickling she is.

All of a sudden she sits on top of me, and gives me a sexy look. Her shyness suddenly disappeared. I'm still laying in bed, and this position reminds me of last night.

"What were you saying?" she teases me with a smirk on her face. My heart is pounding, the skin to skin contact drives me crazy, and that look makes me want to stay in bed with her forever. Just the both of us, with nobody interfering, with no paparazzis, with no worries at all. That would be a perfect life.

She bends until she's just inches away from me and slowly raises my t-shirt as she looks me in the eye. She leaves a trail of kisses on my belly and I feel a shiver down my spine. "Just relax, Em," she whispers me in the ear when she realizes my heart is about to explode. I can't relax, it's scientifically impossible if she keeps touching me and whispering me with that husky voice.

"I don't want to relax," I add jokingly. She smirks at me and I give her a passionate kiss and caress her back before trying to take her shirt off. She starts breathing heavily when my hands reach her perfect abs.

When our lips are about to meet again, someone knocks on the door and we look at each other frowning.

"It's me. Open the door, Em!," Hanna shouts from the other side of the door.

"Does she have a fucking radar?" Paige asks frowning at me. I can't help but laugh, but I'd prefer if my friend was at her apartment right now, and now interrupting "this moment".

"I know you are there, Em. Open the door, please," she insists.

"I'm putting my pyjamas on. Wait a minute." I jump out of bed and Paige snorts.

"I'm sorry," I add before giving her a kiss and putting on the pyjama pants that are on the floor. "Act like nothing happened," I joke. I wink at her and she smirks at me.

I open the door and Hanna enters the dorm even before I tell her to come in.

"Morning, Paige!" she says euphorically.

"Hi, Hanna," she adds not so excitedly as my blonde friend.

"You should start calling before showing up here, Hanna. It's the common thing to do."

"Oh! I'm sorry…" she adds with a surprised face. "Do you have company?" She asks as she gives a look to my bedroom. My bedroom door is open, so she can see that there's nobody inside.

"No!" I exclaim. "It's just… you can't show unannounced, you know," I add before doubting for a few seconds how to explain her that she can't keep doing this.

"Okay, I get it. Just in case you're with a boy," she says smirking. I look at Paige and she is laughing, while Hanna keeps giving me that smile. "When did you wake up, Em?" Hanna asks staring at me with a serious face expression. I look at Paige and she raises her eyebrows. I don't know why she's asking that, but she got me nervous.

"Just a few minutes ago. Why are you asking?" I wait eagerly for her answer as Paige is looking terrified.

"Wow! Did you have time to make your bed? You're so efficient!" she says smirking at me. Is she being ironic or is she being the naïve person I think she is. I hope she's not suspicious. Now that I think of it, it's impossible she knows about us, because she would have said something. She's not the kind of person that would keep that for herself.

"Yes, she is. She can do several things at a time. And beds are her specialty," Paige adds with a serious face expression, although I'm sure she's laughing on the inside. I give her a threatening look and she winks at me when Hanna is not looking at her.

"So, what do you want, Hanna?" I change the subject before I get more nervous.

"I have good news," she says grinning at me. "Not everything is bad news, you know," she adds as she turns her head to look at Paige.

"Are you implying that I'm bad news?" Paige frowns at Hanna.

"No… I… I mean…" She clears her throat nervously. "I was referring to what happened yesterday, paparazzi knowing that you may be a student here. You're not bad news at all. I'm sorry if…" Paige interrupts her immediately with a huge grin on her face that makes her look stunning.

"I was teasing you." She laughs loudly. Hanna gives her a defiant look and I can't help but laugh. It's not easy to make Hanna nervous, but she achieved her purpose.

"Anyway, your friend here is not as innocent as I thought she was." Paige keeps laughing. Hanna changes her subject after smiling at my girlfriend. "So, I came here to tell you that Aria is transferring from New York, so she will be joining us. Isn't that great?"

"Are you serious or are you kidding?" Sometimes it's not easy to know if she's being serious or just being Hanna.

"I'm serious, Em. The four of us together again. Actually, she came here to accelerate the process, so she just has to move, because she got admitted yesterday. I'm so happy." I thought she was here to visit, she didn't say that she had other plans on mind. She probably didn't say anything in case she wasn't admitted. That makes total sense.

"That's fantastic. I mean, I missed her a lot." I'm really happy Aria is moving, because she is the only one that knows my secret and that way I can speak about it with her.

"And do you know who else is transferring too?" Hanna opens her eyes excitedly to stare at me. "Lucy, Em," she adds eagerly. Suddenly there's a big silence on the bedroom.

"Lucy, Lucy?" I ask after a few seconds of awkward silence.

"Hoy many Lucys do you know, Em?" Is this really happening? "Your best friend when we were in high school, Em. Do you remember that blonde girl that had to leave Rosewood and made you really upset? I'm talking about that Lucy." I look at Paige and she's frowning. She knows Lucy's story, so she doesn't obviously like the idea of my first crush transferring to the same college. She doesn't have to worry, though. I'm so into her that not even Lucy is a threat to our relationship. I mean, I liked her and I think I was in love with her, but that was almost a lifetime ago. Now I'm a totally different person, I'm more mature. And even if I'm not out, my feelings for Paige are real. "Why that long face, Em?" she asks when she sees my lack of joy. "I thought you liked her?" Of course I did, but now the way she means it. It was more than a friend, so everything is going to be more complicated now. If Paige's family was a problem, now I have to add this little problem to my list of concerns.

"Yes, it's just that…" I take a deep breath before I continue speaking. "I didn't expect this, that's all. But I'm really happy," I add.

"Okay, girls, I'm meeting Spence in five minutes and I don't want to be late. You know how punctual she is. Anyway, if you want to join us, you're more than welcome," she says excitedly. "Bye!" She leaves our dorm and all I can hear is silence surrounding us. I don't like this tension.

"Paige…" I say as I approach her bed and sit down next to her. "Don't imagine things, okay? I'm with you, that's the only thing that matters." I put my arm around her shoulders, but she's still staring at the sheets, she doesn't say a word.

"I know that, but… you know what they say about your first love. And if your feelings for her were as strong as my feelings for you right now, then it's impossible to hide the fact that I'm a little bit concerned." She's still avoiding my gaze, so I raise her chin and look her in the eye.

"I love you, Paige." She doesn't say the three words I was expecting to hear, but she kisses me passionately. This kiss must mean something, right? It gives me hope, although I know this won't be easy at all. Be patient, Em. You can do it.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	22. Not Easy At All

**Good night! I'm so sorry for the delay, guys. My life is so hectic that I don't have time to read, write, watch TV… It's exhausting. :D. ;) I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**This chapter was so fun to write, so I hope you like it. I don't know when I'll be able to update the story, because I'm going home for a few days this weekend and I want to be with my family and friends, so it's going to be difficult.**

**Be patient for the next update, please. ;) Thanks! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Guest: Hahaha. La pobre Paige no levanta cabeza, entre los paparazzis y ahora el primer amor de Emily. Pero mi intención era darle más interés a la historia. El encuentro con Lucy será interesante, ya verás. En cuanto a lo suyo, ten por seguro que Emily está totalmente enamorada de Paige, así que por ahora con Lucy no pasará nada. De todas formas no quiero fastidiarte la historia, pero en breve pasará algo que cambiará el rumbo de Paily. No diré más porque todavía no lo tengo muy claro y además quiero mantener el interés. ****Nada de spoilers! LOL ¡Gracias por comentar! Un saludo. ;)**

**Del: You're going to end up hating Hanna, right? xD Aria transferring to their same college is great news, I agree. As for Lucy, let's see what she has to say about it. xD Their love for each other is real. But Lucy is going to be trouble, that's for sure. :) Thank you for your nice words! Have a nice day! ;)**

**Dannyfmfvelez: Obrigada! ****Alegro-me que gostes da história. Quase não tenho tempo para escrever, mas adoro que ainda estes interessada neste fanfic. I've been taking Portuguese classes, I had to try. ;) LOL**

**Guest: Thank you! I'm glad you're liking it so far. :)**

**Jamscottroc54: You don't like Lucy already… LOL You have a sixth sense, and you might not be wrong about it. Paige's secret is safe… for now. LOL**

**saffyfan: Thanks! ;) Do you really want a fight? Hahaha. So funny! I like your ideas. Let me think about it. xD They're still together, don't worry. :D**

**Malin19222: Thank you so much! I love that you like the story. ;)**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 22: Not easy at all**_

**Emily's POV**

I still can't believe that Lucy is actually coming here. I don't understand why Aria didn't tell me anything, because she knows everything about my sexuality and how hard it was for me forget about Lucy. And now that I'm happy she's transferring here. I know nothing will change, because I love Paige, but I don't like the idea of having her here. It's not that I feel insecure, I just want to avoid awkward moments and I don't want Paige to worry just because of it. She has a lot of things going on and I don't think she needs to add this problem to her chaotic life. On the other side, I won't deny that I'm curious to see Lucy. It's been 4 years since she left, we were too young, and now we're grown ups. Everything has changed, but I've missed her, that's the truth.

After Hannah left I told Paige that I loved her, in case she wasn't sure of that, although it's very obvious. Now she is taking a shower. According to her she just needs a shower to start the day, but I know she wants some time alone, and she must be having a lot of thoughts of what may change by Lucy's presence. It's odd that she's one of the most intelligent people I've ever known and she is so insecure. I guess that's the disadvantage of being such a clever person, she can't stop thinking all day. Although this time, the thoughts she's having are not good at all.

"Hey, gorgeous," I tell her with a smile on my face. She has her hair a little bit wet, and she's already dressed. Her good smell doesn't go unnoticed and I can't help but hold her waist and kiss her. She kisses me back after smirking at me.

"I have to go, Em," she says with that shy smile that still makes my heart pump really hard.

"Where? Are you already sick of being with me?" I joke.

"Never," she adds with her husky voice. Her face is just a few inches from mine. She gives me a sexy look and she leans in to kiss me again before she bits her lips. This time the kiss is very intense, I can tell she was eager to kiss me. When our tongues touch I can't help but moan. She pulls away when we're both breathless.

"What was that for?" I ask while I stare at her and I caress her back.

"I told you I have to leave, I'm meeting Jack for breakfast. That was my goodbye kiss." She grins at me and I frown, because I don't want her to leave. I would be happiest person on Earth if we could stay in bed all day.

"Do you know you're adorable?" I ask as I check her out. I can't but admire her perfect body. She grabs her purse and she turns to look at me before leaving the dorm.

"I know I am the perfect girlfriend," she jokes. "I'll call you later, okay? Don't make plans for the afternoon." She smirks at me and I look at her confusedly. I love that she makes plans and don't say anything about it, because I love surprises.

"Come on, Paige. You can't do that to me." She laughs and I approach her before she tries to open the door, stopping her by putting my foot on the door so she can't open it. "I'm looking forward to it," I whisper in her ear. Her cheeks get red and she smiles shyly.

"See you later, Em." She gives me another kiss and I move my foot so she can open the door. "Thanks."

Once she has left, I go grab my phone and call Aria. We definitely need to talk. She agrees to meet for breakfast and I get to the coffee shop in half an hour. She's already sitting at a table, so I approach her. She's smiling at me, and she says hi, but I can feel awkwardness between us. I mean, I'm not mad at her, but I think I deserved to know what was happening from her, because she knows my background and how important Lucy was to me.

"Morning, Em," she says as she takes a sip of her coffee. I order another coffee and I sit down in front of her. I stare at her with a serious expression for a few seconds and she finally opens her mouth again. "I think I know why you want to talk."

"Really?" I ask a little bit bothered. She takes a deep breath and continues speaking.

"I'm sorry, Em. She told me about her decision two days ago. I was going to tell you, but I told Hanna first and you know how much she likes gossip. I guess she wanted to be the one to tell you." Her face expression is very serious. After a brief break she stares at me. "I just want you to know that I have nothing to do with it. When I told her that I have decided to transfer, she didn't say anything. But…" She gives me a weird look and stops talking.

"But what?" I raise my eyebrows, I don't know why she stopped talking.

"The next day she told me that she had broken up with her girlfriend and that she needed a change of scene." Aria looks away, and I wait for her to continue explaining the whole situation.

"What? Just like that? She broke up with her and decided to come here?" I look at her, waiting eagerly for her response.

"She said that she didn't want to see her everyday, so transferring was a good option. I even supported her decision, but I didn't think she was choosing the same college."

"I don't understand anything. I mean, she just broke up with her after a long relationship and now…" I shake my head, and Aria interrupts me.

"It's pretty clear to me, Em," she adds while she raises her eyebrows. "There's something about this place that we both love."

"No, no, no… No way. Don't say that, Aria."

"Em, that's the only explanation. I mean, she doesn't know that you're dating another girl. I obviously didn't tell anybody. But… um… her face lights up when I mention you. And she's always asking me about you. It was a matter of time. But I didn't expect that she would break with her girlfriend. I'm as shocked as you are."

"I don't need drama, Aria. Paige is going through a hard time and I don't want her to have doubts because Lucy is going to be around."

"Is she in trouble? What's going on?" All of a sudden I remember that she doesn't know who my girlfriend really is.

"No, she's not. It's just that…" I smile at her, and looks at me with her eyes wide open.

"What is going on, Em?"

"Did you hear about the McCullers and their daughter and all those rumors?"

She nods at me. "Yes, journalists think that she studies in this college. So?"

"It's her, Aria." I look away for a brief moment and then look at her again. Her surprised face makes me laugh.

"What the hell? Are you saying that…?"

"I'm dating Paige McCullers, Aria. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but these last days have been hectic and I didn't have time for this."

"This is huge! I'm flabbergasted. I mean, your girlfriend is…" She can't even finish her sentence. "And you were mad at me because I didn't tell you about Lucy? What about this?" It seems that her eyes are going to pop out of her head.

I keep laughing while she tries to get used to the idea of Paige being a McCullers.

**Paige's POV**

Jealousy, fear of losing her, a mix of feelings are making me very nervous. I'm even thinking that she might pick her first love over me. I don't know how to describe my actual situation, but even if she said that she loved me, I can't help but feel this way. Jealousy has always been something that I thought was caused by lack of confidence, but I just realized that's not true. I mean, I want her, and I know she has the same feelings for me, but Lucy moving to our college has made me feel like I may lose her.

"Earth to Paige, Earth to Paige…" Jack jokes from the other side of the table. I'm lost in my thoughts. I haven't said a word since I got here, and for Jack breakfast is sacred, so he doesn't usually speak when he's eating his pancakes. But this silence is not common.

"I'm sorry." I sigh and he stares at me.

"Are you still worried about the paparazzi? They were around campus yesterday, but there aren't a lot of them today. They'll get bored, Paige. It's impossible they discover who you are. Very few people know about your identity, and you can trust them. Everything is going to be fine." He holds my hand and I nod at him, but that's not my only worry.

"It's not only that. The girl Emily was in love with is transferring. What if I lose her? I can't… I mean…. um…" Jack interrupts me immediately, because I'm getting very nervous.

"She's with you because she wants to, Paige. Do you really think that she will leave you after how hard she fought for you? Stop saying nonsense, okay?" He can be the sweetest person on Earth, I'm happy to have him. He looks so tough, but he is all kindness. However, when people see a really tall boy wearing metal band t-shirts and very long hair, they just assume that he has an odd personality. But they're so wrong.

"Yes, but… It makes sense that I'm nervous about that girl, right? I mean, I'm not a crazy person, right?" He nods at me. "It's just… It's hard for me to say this, but I think I love her, Jack." Suddenly he bursts out laughing. I look at him surprisedly. "It's not funny." I flush.

"It really is funny, Paige. THINK? You think that you love her? Come on! We both know that you're obsessed with her, am I right?" I give him a shy look and he smirks at me.

"You're an idiot," I add.

"I agree," he jokes as he continues laughing. "By the way, I don't know that girl, but I'm pretty sure she's no competition, Paigey." I smile at him and we both continue eating, although I can't avoid these thoughts that are messing with my head.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	23. Face to Face

**Good night! I'm sooooooo sorry for the delay, guys. I've been home for a few days, visiting my family and friends, so I had no time to update the story. I hope you didn't forget about this story, and I hope you like this chapter. ;) I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**This chapter has cuteness and drama, so I don't think it will disappoint. :D I don't know when I'll be able to update the story, so be patient, please.**

**Thanks! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**Marmoreck: En este capítulo tampoco conoceremos mucho de Lucy, pero es un aperitivo de lo que se avecina. xD Lo de los celos es algo que no se puede evitar, y como es normal Paige se sentirá agobiada por todo lo que le está pasando, pero la vida es así. :) Lo del drama está garantizado, aunque todavía no he pensado en lo que pasará en los próximos capítulos. ****Ya veremos… :D ¡Gracias! Me alegro de que te esté gustando. ;)**

**PrettyLittleVeg: Thank you! I'd love to make chapters longer, but I don't have time. I'm happy because you're enjoying the story, even if I publish new chapters not as often as I'd like to. I really appreciate your patience. ;)**

**keekee4ever: Thanks! I'm sorry you had to wait so many days for the update. :) But Lucy is finally here, so I hope you enjoy the story. Sure, Paily forever. :D**

**Dannyfmfvelez: A língua portuguesa é mais difícil do que achava, sobretudo a pronunciação, que não tem nada a ver com o espanhol. :) Mais espero que as aulas valham a pena e consiga ter um nível aceitável em pouco tempo. ****Ok... change of language… :D Don't go to bed so late just because of this. LOL I'm glad you're liking it. Cat fight? Hahaha. Not yet, but let me think about that. :D Boa noite!**

**Del: Jack is a very wise man, so let's trust him. xD Your imagination is not wrong, though. I don't remember who it was, but a few chapters ago someone posted that if I could make Lucy look like Quinn from Glee, so let's say that she's not ugly at all. Anyway, Batman has no competition. xD Thank you to you for reviewing! Yes, Hanna is not the one to confide a big secret, you're not wrong about that. :) But she's so funny…**

**gaby2angel: If you are sleeping less hours because of this then I'm flattered. :D Thank you! But you should sleep more. :) Lucy is not Alison. I mean, she won't be evil, maybe a little bit annoying for Paily fans, but she's not Ali AKA Satan. :D**

**Jammscottroc54: Hahaha. Yes, she's kind of a stalker. Let the drama begin! Thank you for reviewing! ;)**

**LJGriff: Your wish is my command. Enjoy this chapter! ;)**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 23: Face to Face**_

**Paige's POV**

"What are you thinking about?" Emily asks me frowning. We're at the café, having our dose of caffeine before heading to class. Actually, she is the only one going to class, because I'm not in the mood. I'm tired of everything. I mean, this is not physical exhaustion, but psychological exhaustion. Getting up everyday and having to hide that I'm dating her is killing me. And what's even worse is that I have a feeling that journalists aren't going to give up until they know who the youngest McCullers is. Emily's friends are the only ones that know the truth, and she really trusts them, so I'm almost one hundred percent sure that they're not going to betray me. However, I can't help but have the feeling that the truth will come to light, and it feels like a torture. Besides, we've been here for 15 minutes and Emily didn't stop talking, but I couldn't concentrate on her. I'm a shitty girlfriend, and she's adorable, because she had to bear with my absence for that long before asking what was wrong. Now I understand why I felt in love with her, she's it all, and I'm ignoring her instead of being happy because she's one of the luckiest person on Earth.

"I'm sorry, I was just… you know…" I add smiling shyly. She raises her eyebrows, she obviously wants me to explain what is bothering me. "It's just the whole paparazzi stuff and everybody knowing who I am, and my life falling apart, you know." She nods at me, but then raises her eyebrows again.

"That's all?"

"Yes, it is. I can't even sleep at nights, Em. I don't want to be exposed, I couldn't handle it." She takes my hand and squeezes it lightly. I look around, there's practically nobody at the café, so I don't need to worry.

"You don't have to worry about that, Paige. That's a remote possibility, me and my friends are the only ones that know it."

I look around again, looking away for a few seconds. A guy is staring at us. I move my hand away and she gives me a defying look.

"I'm sorry, Em," I add shyly. "It's not that I want to, but we have to be careful." She frowns again. She didn't like it a bit. "I want this more than you do, but I'm not ready with everything that is going on. I can make it up to you tonight," I add with a smirk. I blush and she gives me a wide smile.

"You owe me," she says staring at me with that sexy look that drives me crazy. My face is red as a ripe tomato. Suddenly her face gets serious. "Is that the only thing that worries you?"

I stare at her with a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about Lucy, Paige." I won't lie, that's another problem that is making these last days worse. I don't know if she's a threat yet, but if she's her first love and she transferred to our college, it has to mean that she wants her.

"To be honest, I don't like her coming here, but there's nothing I can do about that." She shakes her head.

"You don't have to do anything, Paige. I want you, nothing will change that. I want you to understand that everything is going to stay the same, okay? You won't get rid of me so easily." Her smile makes me want to kiss her. I trust her, but bad things keep happening to me, so it's natural that I feel insecure about everything in my life. She looks at her watch and afterwards she looks at me.

"I won't go, Em." I smile and she laughs. "I don't feel like going, but I promise you that I will wait buy you lunch after you finish your classes. I want to be a better girlfriend, because I clearly suck at that duty," I joke.

"Then, you're staying here?" I nod at her. She stands up and she looks at me again. "I guess I'm not allowed to kiss you, right Richie Rich?"

"You can hug me. I mean… if you want to." I stand up and she approaches me with a huge grin on her face. I hug her tightly and she places her hands on my hips, making me feel butterflies in the stomach.

"This is killing me, Paige." I can't see her face, but I can tell that she's smiling, although I understand what she's talking about. Touching her makes my heart pound, and if she's feeling the same thing, she must desiring to kiss me so badly.

"I know that." I can only hear her heart beating. It's like I can't hear music and people talking at other tables. "By the way…" I say, before taking a deep breath. "I love you," I whisper in her ear. I didn't say anything when she confessed that she loved me the other day, and I owed her that. She's the best thing that has happened to me in a long time.

"I know that." I can tell she's happy just by hearing the tone of her voice.

I pull away, because the hug is taking forever and the same guy who was staring at us a few minutes ago is still entertained with our affection.

"I don't want to…" I start saying, but she interrupts me.

"It's okay," she adds with a huge grin on her beautiful face. "You didn't have to say that, you know."

"But I wanted to say it, though. You make me feel that way," I say staring at her and smiling back.

"You made my day, Paige," she adds before heading to the door and exiting the café happier than ever. I, on the other side, can't stop looking at her until she disappears. Then I sit down again and I order another coffee before I take a book out of my purse. Reading has always been a way to take a break from reality and clear my mind. I look at my right and I see that creepy guy who was staring at us like a psycho winks at me. I don't know why he did that, but ignoring him looks like the best decision, so I look away and I concentrate on my reading.

After a few cups of coffee and after reading about 5 chapters in a row, I hear a voice and I look up to see who's talking to me. It's something that happens to me a lot when I'm reading. It's like I disconnect from reality and it takes a time to come back to real life.

"Can I join you?" the small brunette asks pointing at the chair where Emily was sitting a few hours ago. Hours? I look at the watch and I realize that time flies, because it seemed like she was here just a few minutes ago. "Paige… Can I join you?" she insists.

"Huh?" She smiles at me. "Yeah, sure. I'm sorry, I just… I was reading and…" She keeps laughing.

"I know that feeling. It happens to me all the time. I'm a huge reading fan too." I nod at her and smile back. "Do you remember me?" She stares at me and I decide to put my book inside my purse, because it looks like this is going to be a long conversation.

"Of course I remember you. Emily told me that you're transferring, Aria," I add nicely. However, I can't forget the fact that Lucy is included in the pack, and it doesn't make me happy at all. But she's Emily's friend and I'm sure she had nothing to do with Lucy's decision. Besides, she's the only one that knows about our relationship, she wouldn't do that. She sits in front of me and she looks away before opening her mouth. She seems nervous.

"How are you?" she asks nicely. I know she didn't come here to ask me if I'm fine. She's obviously avoiding another topic, and I'm pretty sure she wants to talk about "her".

"I'm fine, thanks. How about you? Are you liking your new college?" I ask trying to be polite and trying to make her think that I don't know why she's here.

"Paige, I…" she adds nervously looking down at her coffee cup. She stops for a few seconds before she continues speaking. "Lucy is my friend, she is a nice girl, you don't have to worry about her." I stare at her with my eyes wide open, and she avoids my gaze. I didn't see this coming. She just told me that she's not a threat.

"Did Emily tell you to say that?" She is still avoiding my gaze.

"No, she didn't. I supposed that you probably were worried about Lucy coming here because of their past story, but… I can assure you that Emily loves you." I can't believe she is saying that. If she was trying to convince me that Lucy was not trying to get her back, she's failing miserably. If she knows Lucy so well, then why is she saying this to me? I mean, the only logical explanation to this situation is that she actually knows that Lucy has feelings for Emily. If not, why is she trying to convince me that nothing is going to happen between the two of them?

"Are you saying that Lucy is not interested in her?" I ask raising my eyebrows.

"I can't answer to that question, Paige," she says almost stuttering. I made her even more nervous. She's hiding it, I can tell. However, I understand that she doesn't mention it, because that wouldn't be okay.

"Okay, you don't have to explain me that. I appreciate your update. And I'm sorry that you're involved in this mess." She finally looks me in the eye.

"I just want you to know that she loves you, Paige. I've never seen her so happy."

We continue talking for another 30 minutes, but we talk about college stuff and she asks a few questions about my family. I can tell she's more relaxed. I like her, she's very nice. After saying goodbye to her, I call Emily to know where she is, but she doesn't answer her phone. I know she's not at class, so she must be busy. I head to campus with the intention of laying on the grass and reading the book, because it's very sunny. There are a lot of people around me, but I recognize a laugh and I turn around to look at her. Emily is sitting next to a blonde girl and they seem to be having a great time. I take my sunglasses off and I stare at them. That blonde girl must be Lucy, and she's gorgeous. Her long blonde hair is hypnotizing. I keep staring at them until Emily sees me and makes me a gesture to approach them. I take a deep breath and I start walking with a feeling that I'm fucked up.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	24. Not Wasting Any Time

**Good night! I'm really sorry for the delay, guys. My life is hectic, I barely have time to do anything. I have an excuse though. xD From Monday to Friday I'm working and when I get home I have to do a ton of things, and I have classes too, and then I need to eat and sleep (stupid human habits!) :D And I'm also enjoying the weekends, because I always have plans, so that's why I disappeared off the face of the earth. ;) Anyway, I hope you remember how last chapter ended. But it was a long time ago, so here's a brief summary of what happened: Paige told Emily that she loved her. Everything was great, but then Paige saw Emily laughing and spending time with a mysterious girl. ;) Emily sees her and waves at her, so she will have to approach them, even if she doesn't like that at all. **

**I appreciate your favorites and reviews, because that means you're being patient and you're enjoying the story. :)**

**I don't know when I'll be able to update the story, so be patient, please.**

**Thanks! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**lu-orsolon: Thank you. :) I didn't update as soon as I'd like to, but here's another chapter.**

**cosmicmo: Thanks to you for reading it. There will be drama, so be prepared. ;)**

**Dannyfmfvelez: Depois de muitos dias sem dar sinal de vida, finalmente tive tempo para escriver outro capítulo. :D Espero que a espera valha a pena. Things are getting interesting, my friend. xD Obrigada!**

**Guest: Thanks! It makes me happy that you don't know what is going to happen, because that means you want to read more chapters. :) There's going to be drama, I won't lie to you. But everything will turn out all right.**

**J: LOL. After reading this chapter maybe you will change your mind about that thought that you got. xD I know what is going to happen regarding Paige and her secret, but I don't want to spoil you. :)**

**Del: Hi! I'm great, thanks. But I feel a little bit bad because it's been a long time since I published last chapter. I'm a disaster. Anyway, I hope I have more free time to write. Hahaha. Aria telling Paige about Lucy was hilarious. It was like… Don't worry about Lucy, Emily loves you. Hahaha. Poor Paige. This chapter casts more light on Lucy, so I think that you'll like it. Thank you for reviewing, even I don't deserve it. xD Have a nice weekend! :)**

**Jamscottroc54: Hahaha. A medieval setting or a western setting would fit. A duel to fight for the girl, right? Not yet… but after reading this chapter you will get an idea of what is coming next. Thank you! :)**

**Saffyfan: I know I was mean with that ending, but I am even meaner if you take into account that it took me a long time to update the story, :( However, I enjoyed writing this chapter, so I'm pretty sure you'll love it. Ummmm… Interesting. I like your ideas. I'll keep them in mind. Thank YOU for making me happy. :)**

**PrettyLittleVeg: You're a lucky girl. Here's an update. ;)**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 24: Not wasting any time**_

**Emily's POV**

I can't even concentrate on what the teacher is trying to explain because I can't stop thinking about the three words Paige told me just a few minutes ago. I told her that I loved her and she didn't say anything. Now that I think about it, that wasn´t needed, because I could see it in her eyes. However, it feels good to hear it from her, and that's the reason of my happiness. Time flies by while I'm immersed in my thought, and suddenly the ring bells. By the time I realize that it's time to leave, I take my bag and I leave the classroom with a huge smile on my face.

"Why are you so happy, Em?" I hear someone ask me. I turn around and I see that Spencer is standing on the hall, smiling at me. I smile back and I can't help but flush. I know that it's impossible that she can read my mind, no matter how intelligent she is. However, her look scares me, because I always get the feeling that she knows what is going through my mind every time she gives me that look.

"Sorry, Spence, I was just... distracted," I add after a brief pause to think about the word that describes my actual situation.

"Yeah, I noticed that." She laughs as she approaches me, staring at me and analyzing my face expression. She's getting me nervous. I always thought that she would be a hell of a lawyer, she'd nail interrogations. As a matter of fact, I'm experiencing that feeling right now, because she is staring at me like I was a person that was testifying in court. I can tell that she wants to know the actual reason of my happiness.

"I'm just happy, that's all," I say before she asks me what is going on so that she doesn't insist. But I don't think that my strategy is going to work, because she's still waiting for me to give her an explanation.

"Come on, Em. I know you very well. This is not just a happy day." I avoid her gaze, and she keeps talking. "You met somebody, am I right?" I raise my head and I look her in the eye. I try to sound convincing, but I don't know if this strategy will work on my intelligent friend.

"No, I didn't. Why do you say that?" I try to act surprised. I hope my horrible acting skills help.

"Because I haven't seen you so happy for a long time. Not even when you were dating Ben." The explanation is very simple: I didn't love him, but I love Paige. Life can be very simple sometimes. "But if you don't want to tell me, it's fine, Em."

"No, it's not… It's only that…" I start saying while she analyzes my movements closely. Someone yelling my name interrupts our conversation. I half-close my eyes and I see a blonde girl down the corridor. I turn my head to look at Spencer and she smiles at me. "Is that…?" I look at the girl and then again at Spencer and she immediately nods at me. My heart starts pounding, I feel weakness in my legs. I knew this moment would come, but I hadn't given a thought of how my reaction would be. Now I know why I was avoiding that thought, because I don't like it at all. It's like going back in time, but this time it feels different. She was really attractive when we were "barely kids", but she's changed a lot in these years. And, as I imagined, she changed for the better.

"Emily!" she yells at me before she hugs me tightly. This is a really weird situation. I don't even know what to do with my arms while she continues hugging me like this is the last time she will be seeing me. Spencer raises her eyebrows when she notices my awkwardness. I put my arms on her back, trying to prove Spencer that this is not awkward at all. "It's been a long time," she whispers in my ear. I immediately blush and then she pulls away, staring at me with a wide smile on her face.

"How are you?" Those are the only words that come out of my mouth. I'm shocked. I don't know how to act in front of her. She's a grown up now, and all I can think of is that time has treated her well. She's as attractive as I remember her, but she's a woman now, she's not the sweet kid I remember. She's a little bit taller than I remember, but she still has that shiny long blonde hair that I used to admire when I was sitting behind her in class. I suddenly remembered all those moments we shared and how everything ended because of their parents' decision to move. I even recognized her smell, she is still using the same cologne, because smelling her again made me feel butterflies in my stomach.

"I'm great. How about you?" she smiles at me and I avoid her gaze, because I don't want her to know that she's making me feel something that I can't describe. Suddenly she turns her head to look at Spencer. We were so concentrated on us that I forgot that Spencer was standing right next to us. "Hastings… How are you?" She approaches Spencer and hugs her, but the hug is not so effusive.

"I'm fine. I was told that Aria was not coming alone, but since I hadn't seen you until today, I thought that she was joking." Spencer gives her a huge smile and she smiles back at her.

"She wasn't lying. I came here to stay," she adds turning her head to stare at me again.

"I'm sorry, but I have another class to attend, girls. See you around, Lucy," Spencer says waving at us and speeding up her pace.

"So… Do you have plans, Em? It'd be a pleasure to spend time with you. We need to catch up, don't you think?" She keeps smiling while I'm still in shock.

"Uhmmm… I just…" I take my phone out of my bag and I look at the screen. She didn't call me yet, but I'm sure she will call me soon. I can't tell her an excuse to avoid her invitation. I mean, this is not a one-time thing, she's living here now, so I'll have to deal with her sooner or later. "Okay. I have nothing to do right now. Where do you want to go?"

"Anywhere. What about outside? We could sit on the grass, just like we used to do not so long ago." She grins at me and I can't help but smile, because I remember how we used to have long conversations while sitting on the grass. We could spend hours talking about anything. It was just Lucy and I, we didn't need anything else to have a good time.

Once outside, we both sit on the grass and there are a few seconds of silence. I don't know what to say. Five years ago we were almost like sisters. I could know what she was thinking about only by looking her in the eye. There was always something to talk about, so this silence has no sense at all. Well, maybe time changes everything, and in this case time might be the one to blame. Or maybe this is happening because of the way she left. We knew that we both loved each other, but her parents spoiled everything.

"A lot of things happened since the last time I saw you, Em. How are you?"

"Everything is good. Actually, everything is great." I'm not lying. I don't know if I've been so happy before.

"I'm glad you're okay. You can't imagine how much I've thought about you these five years." She takes a deep breath and continues speaking. "I mean, I guess you know what happened. Aria told you, right?" I nod at her. "My parents thought that tearing us apart was the solution to 'my problem'," she says emphasizing those two last words. "Well… let's just say that they were wrong. I am who I am. They can't make me change my feelings just because they think I'm doing something bad. In fact, at that time I was a little bit confused, and their behavior made me realize that I only liked girls. So they got the opposite of they wanted to happen." I just nod at her. I have nothing to say. Listening her speak so maturely leaves me speechless. She wasn't like this five years ago. There's something different in her, maybe that she's an adult now. I really like what I hear and see in front of me.

"And what about your parents?" I ask curious to know their reaction.

She puffs and then shakes her head. "That's complicated." I don't know what that means, but I guess that's something bad. I look at her and I raise my eyebrows. I want to know more about that matter, because I will have to come out eventually.

"We don't talk to each other. I mean, it's a long story. I don't want to bore you with the details." She avoids my gaze, and that makes me want to know the whole story.

"I want to know," I add trying to attract her attention. She gives me a sincere smile and I smile her back.

"I will be brief." She smirks at me. "They thought that moving to another city would make me forget about you…" My heart stops for a brief moment. I know that happened a long time ago, but I don't know if she's talking about the past or the present. "… and that I'd start dating boys. Anyway, I didn't. I started dating Kim in high school and when we both went to college and I officially came out to them, they told me that I was a failure." Her voice is faltering. Hugging her would be the best thing to do, but I don't want her to think that I'm interested in her, so I just keep listening to her words. "That happened three years ago and I haven't seen them since that day."

"Three years? Really?" It was worse than I expected. She nods at me. "I'm so sorry, Lucy."

"It's okay, Em. I don't like it, but I'm not the one to blame. My parents are idiots."

"And Kim… I guess that's your ex-girlfriend. Then, you dated her for three years?"

"Four years. I love her, but it wasn't working, and I needed a change." After four years of relationship she transfers to another college. That must have been tough for her.

"Why here?" I stare at her and she looks me in the eye. I've been wanting to ask her this question since I knew she was coming here.

"Aria told me that she wanted to transfer here because of you guys, and I just saw that as an opportunity to close that chapter of my life. And… I've missed you, Em," she says lowering her voice and getting closer to me as she keeps looking me in the eye. I look at her lips and I realize that she's biting her upper lip. She's getting even closer, but when she's just about to kiss me, I pull away.

"I'm sorry." She frowns her eyebrows and I can tell that she's upset. "Things have changed, Lucy."

"I'm so sorry. I… just… I couldn't help it, Em. But I apologize if I made you feel uncomfortable." She's nervous, I can tell. The first moment I see her she tries to kiss me, she definitely doesn't want to lose time.

"I'm in a relationship." She opens her eyes widely. "Then… friends?" I ask nicely.

"If that's the only option..." she jokes while she grins at me. She's trying to make this moment less awkward, but I know she's upset. On the other hand, I'm glad she knows I'm in a relationship. I hope this helps to make things better between us. In fact, I've missed her a lot, and I want to keep seeing her. "So..." she adds changing the subject. "How did your parents react to your sexual orientation?"

I nod at her and she frows her eyebrows. "I didn't."

"What? I thought that..." she says looking surprised.

"Aria is the only one who knows. Hanna and Spencer don't know anything." She didn't expect this, it looks like her eyes are about to pop out of her head. "I've known it for a long time, but I've been postponing it. I know it's pathetic, but coming out is really scary."

"I know it is, but I just assumed that you were already out. After all these years…"

"So, I'd appreciate if you kept this secret. I want to tell my friends in person." I avoid her gaze, because I feel like a loser. She doesn't talk to her parents because she was brave enough to live her life. I, on the other hand, am living a secret and I'm not even capable of telling my friends, who are the most tolerant people in the world.

"It's okay, Em. I won't say a word, but... Can I give you advice?" Her eyes light up and I can't help but admire her beautiful eyes. I nod at her and she smiles widely.

"It's not like I'm an expert or anything, but if you keep this secret longer it will consume you. But you should take your time, okay?" It's going to be good to have her around. I think I've missed her more than I initially thought.

"Yeah, you're right. But everything happened really fast. I had a boyfriend for two years, so..." I grin at her because she didn't expect this either.

"Emily Fields... Are you trying to tell me that you chose a boy to forget me?" She starts laughing and I can't help but laugh loudly too. But now that I give it a thought, and even if she was joking about it, she's right. Dating Ben was a horrible way to "try to be straight" and forget about her.

"I didn't remember you being so arrogant," I add while I smirk at her. Suddenly I see Paige standing and staring at us from a distance. She doesn't look very happy, and I think I know why. I guess she already figured out who the girl that's sitting next to me is. This is not the way I wanted them to meet, but trying to make this situation normal is the best option I've got. I wave at her to encourage her to join us. She keeps staring at us for a few seconds, but she finally decides to approach us. She's looking at the floor and I can tell by the way she walks that she doesn't like this. Anyway, I find it really cute. When she's a few inches from us, she stares at me and she gives me a huge smile. Suddenly she kneels down and kisses me passionately.

"Hi, baby," she adds right before our lips separate. She left me breathless. I didn't see this coming. She just kissed me in a campus full of students. I guess Lucy being around is the reason why she did this, but I don't mind that. I mean, the important thing is that this is a huge step for her, because she's been avoiding any physical contact with me for a few days. And, although that was a respectable attitude due to her personal problems, I admit that it was a little bit annoying.

"Hi to you too," I say kissing her back. She deserves more than a kiss, but I don't think this is the right place and time. "This is Lucy, Paige." She turns her head and extends her hand to my friend. She's always been polite, and I find that funny and cute at the same time.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Paige."

Lucy shakes her hand while she looks her in the eye. "Nice to meet you too. I guess you're 'the girlfriend'", she adds with a different voice tone.

"That's right," she adds with a huge grin on her face. "So, how was the change. Are you liking this?" I didn't know that my girlfriend could be so sociable. She's so shy that this is a little bit surrealistic, but I'm loving this side of her.

"It's been great. I needed a change and I was missing my old life." Paige frowns a little bit, because that sounded like she was missing me. I don't think she said that in purpose though.

"So, Em... I know that we were going to go get a coffee, but if you want to spend time with your old friend, I can call you later." Those words make me melt. Although she doesn't like the fact that my first love is here she's trying to be mature. It's not surprising at all that I fell in love with her. She's just perfect.

"No, don't worry about me. I have a lot of pending papers, I have to leave anyway. But I have your phone, Em, so see you soon." She waves at us and we both say goodbye. Then Paige sits next to me and she rolls her eyes. I knew this was too perfect to be true.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	25. Batman to the Rescue

**Good night! Sunday was a calm day because I needed to rest and stay at home, so I decided to write instead of watching TV all day. xD Besides, you've been very patient these last chapters and I think you deserve more Paily action. This time I don't have to apologize for the delay. Yay! ;) It was fun writing this, I hope you enjoy the adventures of the couple now that there's someone from the past who is haunting them. :D **

**I really appreciate your favorites and reviews. Thank you so much! :)**

**I don't know when I'll be able to update the story. This week I'm going to be very busy, so be patient, please.**

**Thanks! ;)**

**I don't want to sound repetitive, but you know English is not my native language, so I apologize in advance for my mistakes.**

**lu-orsolon: Yes, I'm alive. :D Thank you! I told you things are getting interesting. I agree, Paige was really cute and brave. I assumed that neither of you would like Lucy. :D**

**SevenSixteen: I knew that you'd love that last part of the chapter. It was surprising and adorable. :)**

**Nae10: I love that you like Paige's character. Team Paige everywhere… :D**

**Dannyfmfvelez: Obrigada! É raro que esté a praticar o português com alguém que lê o meu fanfic. ****É surrealista! :D Do you really think that Lucy is a bitch? She didn't do anything bad… yet. xD**

**Guest: It's funny that neither of you trust Lucy's intentions. LOL**

**Del: Thanks! If you liked last chapter, there's more cuteness coming. Be prepared! :D Paige would go crazy if Emily cheated her, that's for sure. Thank you to you for reviewing. ;)**

**OTHangels: Thank you! ;)**

**J: Another Lucy hater. Love it! LOL Jealous Paige is always cute.**

**arluke676: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Hope you like this chapter as much as the previous one. :)**

**jamscottroc54: You have a sixth sense. She was nice to her because she's adorable, but she won't let her steal her girl. :D**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 25: Batman comes to the rescue**_

**Paige's POV**

"What has just happened?" she asks with a huge smile on her face.

"What do you mean?" I joke, even if I'm still feeling a little bit jealous. I'm impressed with my attitude, because I don't do things like that. However I guess it was something my mind made me do to make clear that she is my girlfriend and nobody else's.

"Were you trying to mark your territory? You surprised me." I look away while I continue smirking. "Aren't you going to say anything?" she asks as she holds my right hand.

"Is it forbidden to kiss my girlfriend?" I tease her. Her grin and the light in her eyes make me want to kiss her again.

"Of course you can, dummy. But I didn't see it coming, that's all. It was really hot." She gives me that sexy look that I love.

"I'm full of surprises, you are a lucky girl," I joke again. She laughs loudly while she intertwines her fingers with mine.

"Did you do that because Lucy was here?" I shake my head, although she's totally right about it. "Come on, Paige. You shouldn't be ashamed of it. It was a fantastic kiss."

"Well... It just felt like the right thing to do. And... maybe her presence had something to do with it," I add shyly as I look down at the grass.

"And now you're being shy again. You're so cute," she says smiling as she caresses my back. Her touch gives me goosebumps.

"So, how was the encounter after all these years?" I'm curious about this, because even if Aria tried to convince me that Lucy is not interested in her, I'm pretty sure she's here to get her back. I mean, her snarky comments about missing things and telling my girlfriend that she had her number and that they'd meet more frequently made me realize that she definitely wants her. I don't like that a little bit, but I don't blame her either. Emily is the perfect girl, and I'm not the only one that can see that. I know I have to trust her and that I have to be less mistrustful, but it's harder than it looks.

"It was good," she adds briefly.

"Is that all?" I asked with a surprised look on my face.

"Yes. I mean, it's been good to see her." I frown at her.

"Emily..." She's staring at me, and I have a feeling that she knows what I'm going to say next. "She wants you. I could tell by the way she looks at you. I don't want to act like the typical jealous girlfriend, because I'm not..." She interrupts me.

"Really?" She's grinning at me and I can't help but blush.

"No, I'm not!" She finds my reaction funny, because she keeps smiling at me. "But you should know that I'm 100 percent sure that she is here because of you."

"I love you, Paige. That's the only thing that matters." I look down again, smiling shyly. I won't get bored of those words ever. I feel butterflies in my stomach when she says that she loves me as she stares at me with her beautiful eyes.

"I love you too," I say with an almost inaudible voice. I think it's the second time in my life I've said those three words.

"I'm dying to kiss you," she adds with that good girl look.

"Not now," I say with an evil smile. "Don't be so greedy, Fields," I tease her. Right after I stand up and I get my bag.

"Where are you going?" She frowns at me and I can't help but laugh. It's funny when she gets angry or annoyed.

"I have plans." I can tell she's upset. "With you, Em," I add while I extend my two hands to help her stand up. She rolls her eyes and then takes my hands. She stands up with a jump, and she places her hands on my hip so she doesn't fall down. She's standing just a few inches from my face, I can smell her sweet perfume and it's driving me crazy.

"Stop looking at me like that if you don't want me to kiss you, Paige," she jokes.

"I know I'm irresistible," I add ironically.

She pushes me away softly. "Idiot." We both laugh and walk towards my car. We get inside and I turn on the engine after turning on the radio.

"So... do you feel like going to the movies?" I ask after I put my seat belt.

"Sure." Her happiness is contagious, because I can't stop smiling whenever I see her beautiful grin.

**Emily's POV**

After a ten minute ride to the mall she parks the car and we go directly to the box office. We get two tickets for a movie that Paige has been wanting to watch, even though I tell her that it seems like an awful movie. We buy two big popcorn boxes and we get inside five minutes before the running time. There are not a lot of people in the auditorium, so I guess I was right and this movie was not the best option. However, I don't care if the movie is bad, because I just want to spend time with my girlfriend.

"Just so you know, I accepted to watch this movie because I love you," I add as I put my hand on her thigh.

Lights are turned off and all I can hear is people eating popcorn. I start caressing her thigh, making it impossible for Paige to concentrate on the beginning of the movie.

"Would you stop?" she whispers me in the ear sexily.

"I don't want to," I giggle. It's impossible to keep my hands off her. "Are you going to make me stop?" I ask her ironically. She laughs trying not to make a lot of noise. It's good that there's barely no one watching the movie and that we got these seats that are a little bit isolated. After all it was probably a good decision to choose this movie. Otherwise, people would call attention to us.

"Yes, I am," she adds. Suddenly she leans in to leave a trail of kisses on my neck. It feels great.

"I love your method."

"Do you?" she asks before kissing me on the lips. I place my hand on her cheek and I kiss her until we're both breathless.

"People will be looking at us, Paige," I say lowering my voice.

"It's dark in here." Her lips touch mine again and she introduces her tongue inside my mouth, touching mine and making me moan.

"Shhhhh!" a woman that's sitting a few rows below us says.

"Sorry," Paige adds politely while I try not to laugh. "I had to apologize to that woman because you're making strange noises," she teases me. I love her sense of humor. "I missed the first 30 minutes of the movie because of you. Be quiet, please," she jokes before giving me another kiss.

We keep eating popcorn until the movie ends. As I had expected, it was terrible, but Paige seemed to be having a good time, because she laughed a few times. However, it was definitely worth it. As we're exiting the auditorium, I see Hanna waving at us. My heart suddenly stops. She was here, and we didn't notice. Caleb is right next to her. I'm paralyzed. Paige doesn't say a word until they both approach us.

"I can't believe it" she says staring at me. My heart starts pounding faster than ever. I can´t believe what I'm hearing. She keeps staring at me, waiting for an answer, but I'm speechless. This is not the way I wanted her to find out. "Aren´t you going to explain me this?"

"What?" I finally say, avoiding the matter, even if it's going to be impossible to avert this conversation.

"I've been telling you for two weeks that I wanted to watch this movie and you said that you'd prefer to die... And now you're here. Can you explain this to me?" I take a deep breath, because I was just about to have an anxiety attack. I look at Caleb and he's smiling. I guess he finds it funny to see her girlfriend mad because of this nonsense.

"We wanted to watch a movie and there were only tickets for this movie," I lie. Caleb frowns at me and Hanna looks at me shockingly. I know the excuse is lame, but it was the first thing that occurred to me.

"Really?" Hanna asks. I turn my head to look at Paige and I see that she's staring at the floor, trying not to burst into laughter.

"It's not such a big deal, Hanna. I came with you. Why don't we go to have a coffee?" Caleb says, difusing the conversation.

"Sorry, Hanna," I apologize to my friend.

"It's okay. I need caffeine, let's go," she adds as she holds my arm and smiles at me. I love that she has a temper but she forgives so easily.

We order four cappuccinos and cheesecake and we sit down at the only table that's not occupied.

"Did you like the movie?" Hanna teases me.

"It was horrible, but Paige seemed to enjoy it," I add before taking a sip of coffee.

"I loved the first 30 minutes," she adds jokingly. I laugh at her and Hanna looks astonishingly at my girlfriend.

"The first 30 minutes were clearly the best part of that horrible movie. I liked the second part of the movie more. I'm glad Paige has a good taste. Not like you or this one that's sitting next to me," she says nudging Caleb. "He was sleeping the whole movie. He didn't even realize that there was a couple making out at the other side of the theatre room.

"They were so annoying, right?" Paige says with a straight face. He's in a good mood, and that makes me love her even more. She has no flaws.

Hanna rolls her eyes before speaking again. "Sure. Just get a hotel room and problem solved. There's no need to come here and be a pain in the ass," she adds while Caleb keeps laughing. They make such a cute couple.

All of a sudden my phone starts vibrating. It's on the table, right next to Paige's arm, so she sees that Lucy is calling me. I don't think talking to her is going to be a good decision, so I push the red end call key. However, she doesn't desist, because she keeps calling. I take the phone and I put it on my bag so she doesn't bother us. The phone keeps vibrating inside my bag.

"Who was that?" Hanna asks curiously.

"Lucy."

"Did you finally see her? I saw her last week and I didn't recognize her. She's always been beautiful, but she's stunning. I mean, that hair..." she adds excitedly. Paige's face expression suddenly straightens.

"Yes, I talked to her this morning."

"Why did you ignore her? Did something happen?" She stares at me, analyzing my attitude.

"No, everything is fine. It's just... I will call her later."

"It seemed something important. She was very insistent," Paige adds out of the blue. This is really weird, but she might be right. I avoided her because Paige is right next to me, but it doesn't make any sense. I should talk to her in front of my girlfriend. I have nothing to hide.

"Really?" She nods at me, but I don't know if she's just trying to make me realize that she trusts me.

"Call her, Em," Hanna insists. I look at Paige and she nods at me again. I don't want Hanna and Caleb to be suspicious, so I just take my phone and I call her.

"Hi. You called me. Is something wrong?" All eyes are on me while I wait to Lucy's answer.

"I need to see you," she says.

"Is something wrong, Lucy? Are you okay?" I insist.

"I just… I'm at my dorm. Can you come here?" She seems nervous, but she doesn't say a word about why she wants me there. This is really weird.

"I'm at the mall with Hanna, Caleb and Paige." The three of them are staring at me, anxious to know what is going on, but I don't even know what is happening.

"Please," she insists.

"Why?" I won't leave until she says what the hell she wants.

"It's complicated…" I'm getting nervous, and at the same time I don't know what to do.

"Okay, but you'll have to wait. I'm not at the campus." I got curious. I can't hang up and act like everything is good.

"Thanks. See you soon." I hang up and I take a deep breath. They are staring at me, waiting for an explanation.

"I have to leave, guys. Lucy was acting weird, she wants to speak. I guess I'll have to meet her." I look at Paige from the corner of my eye and I can tell she's not happy at all. I understand her, but Lucy is a friend after all, and it seems like she needs me.

"Did she say what was bothering her?" Hanna asks with her eyes wide open.

"Nop. But don't worry about me. You can stay here, I'll take a cab,"

"No way. I'll give you a ride," Paige adds promptly. She stands up, we pay our coffees and we leave the café after saying goodbye to Hanna and Caleb.

"I'm really sorry, Paige," I say as I look her in the eye once we're inside the car.

"What does she want?" I can tell that she's annoyed just by hearing her voice tone.

"I don't know. But I didn't mean to bother you. It's just… she's my friend, you know."

"Yeah, I know that. But this is weird. She wants to see you alone in her dorm, and she likes you. I think I have the right to be a little bit mad, Em." She turns her head to look at me and I suddenly feel awful.

"Do you trust me?" I ask once we get there and she stops the car. She looks away, so I place my hands over her neck and make her look me in the eye.

"I guess so," she says smirking at me.

"I love you, only you" I add before I kiss her.

"Call me later, okay? I'll be waiting for you." I open the car door to leave, but she holds my left hand tightly. I turn around to look at her and she gives me a passionate kiss.

"I'll call you asap." I leave the car and I wave at her. I head the stairs that lead to Lucy's floor and I turn to look again before I open the door to get inside. Paige is still there, staring at me. I smile at her and she smiles me back, but deep down I know she's worried, even if she has nothing to worry about.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**


	26. Too Much For One Day

**I'm really sorry, guys. I know I disappeared off the face of the earth and I apologize for it. I really had a reason to be missing for such a long time. I've been working a lot of weekends and besides a lot of friends came to visit me, so these two last months have been very very busy. There were times that I had time to write another chapter, but either I was exhausted or I preferred to watch TV or relax instead of writing (I'm human after all). I'm sorry. :( Anyway, I hope you still want to follow this story, even if I have barely time to write. I will finish this story no matter what, that's for sure, so you can stop thinking that I'm going to stop writing without giving you a proper ending. No way that's going to happen. ;)**

**Brief summary of what happened before my absence… :D**

**Paige's secret about her family is still a secret and Lucy called Emily begging for her to go to her dorm. Thank you for your support and your patience. I won't comment on your reviews this time because I'd rather spend that precious time writing the story, but I promise you that I'll continue commenting your reviews from now on, because I love them.**

**Thank you for your patience! ;)**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 26: Too much for one day**_

**Emily's POV**

_Why the hell I'm feeling nervous? What is wrong with me?_ I hate this feeling. It's like right now I was the same child that was terrified every time I saw Lucy and had to hide my feelings for her. At that time I knew why I felt that way. I mean, thinking about her in that way was supposed to mean that there was something wrong about me. I used to think that because I was young and I didn't know anything about life, but I'm an adult now. Not only I'm an adult, I have a girlfriend now and I'm in love with her, so I don't get why I'm so hesitant. I thought that dating Paige was a giant step, and it really was, but I'm still not out, so that means I didn't accept it yet. I mean, the most important people in my life, my parents and friends, don't know anything about my secret. With the exception of Aria, even if she found out and it wasn't really my decision, so that doesn't count. Now that I think about it, I think I'm the same frightened child that I was a long time ago, because I'm not being sincere with the people I love just because of what they might think about me.

I'm standing in front of Lucy's dorm room, hesitating to knock on her door because she said it was urgent and I don't know what I'm going to find on the other side of this door. I move my fist slowly, trying to make it happen, but it's harder than it looks. I take a deep breath and I finally knock on her door. I hear footsteps coming from inside the dorm and I take another deep breath. When I see her my heart stops beating. She's got a towel wrapped around her chest and I can't even open my mouth to say something.

"What the…?" I start saying before she interrupts me.

"It's not what you think. I just… Come inside, please," she says staring at me and opening the door to get me inside.

"I'm not coming insi… I mean… Why did you…?" I can't even say a whole sentence without stuttering. I suspected that she probably wanted to be more than friends because she basically told me that this afternoon and she also tried to kiss me, but this is not what I was expecting when I came here. If I had known this, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. And I'm not in the mood to handle this. When I'm about to leave she holds my hand and she looks at me with those sad puppy eyes that make her so vulnerable.

"Please," she insists once again. "I need your help."

"Help?" I ask staring at her surprisingly.

"Emily, I hurt my back. That's why I'm wearing this towel. I was bleeding and I had to stop the bleeding. Now… will you help me?" She says while she holds her towel and gives me a serious look.

I instantly blush, I'm not even able to look her in the eye. I enter the dorm and she closes the door.

"What happened?" I ask worryingly after the whole misunderstanding that made me feel like a fool.

She lays face down on her bed with the towel still covering her chest, but with her back uncovered.

"I got out of the shower and that stupid vase that my roommate had on that top shelf fell on my back and broke," she adds pointing at the bathroom. "I looked at the mirror but I can't see if the wound is that bad. It hurts like hell, so I needed a second opinion," she smirks at me and I smile back at her.

"May I?" I ask shyly approaching at her and kneeling right next to her so I can take a look at the wound.

She nods at me. "That's why I called you," she says sarcastically. There are small pieces of glass around the wound it doesn't look good.

"So? Is it that bad?" I guess she say my face and she came to the conclusion that it's worse than expected.

"I don't know if… You should go to the hospital so it doesn't become infected."

"Could you at least clean it a little bit with water and soap? You have a bottle of water, soap and gauzes right next to you. You can touch me, Emily. I don't bite" she adds with a smile on her face.

"Okay. But right after we're going to the doctor." She laughs, but I know I'm right. I know I've always been the responsible type of person, and she always made fun of that when we were on high school.

I place my left hand on her back and I start cleaning the wound with my right hand. I realize that my touch gave her goosebumps, and I don't know to feel flattered or guilty.

"It feels good," she says in a low voice. "I've missed you, Em," she adds. I leave the soap and the gauzed on the floor and I instantly stand up.

"I'm calling a cab, okay?" I say, troubled. "Put a t-shirt on, we're going to the hospital," I add a little bit rudely. I know she didn't do anything wrong, but her words made me nervous and I'm obviously bothered because I knew this would happen again.

"Em…" She gets closer to me while she holds the towel and I can't help but look at her perfect shoulders. I have to stop doing it, I don't even know why I'm looking at her. "I'm being honest. Why are you bothered?"

"Just stop it, okay? I'm not in the mood."

"You're not in the mood to what? To talk?" she asks annoyingly.

"There's nothing to talk about, Lucy." Before she speaks again, I take out my phone and call a cab. I don't want to spend more time having this conversation, because I know this is going nowhere.

She turns around, she makes her way to get a t-shirt and gets into the bathroom. Five minutes later we are inside the cab, not even looking at each other and hoping to get to the hospital as soon as possible. When we get to the waiting room I get a magazine and I try to avoid her. She just sits next to me in silence. About ten minutes later a nurse calls her name, she stands up and she looks at me. She smiles at me, like nothing had happened.

"Thank you for your help. I love you, Emily," she says smirking at me.

I'm speechless. I didn't see this coming. She's full of surprises, that's for sure. When the nurse sees my shocked face she smiles at me. I guess I look like a fool.

**Paige's POV**

I trust my girlfriend, but I don't like Lucy. There's something about her that I dislike. I know that she wants her back and she seems like the kind of person that doesn't give up. I know she'll try to win her back no matter what. I'm sure that the fact of me being her girlfriend won't stop her, and that scares me. I know I should go to sleep, but I can't leave knowing that Emily is with her. I've just discovered that I'm a jealous person, and I hate it. So, instead of leaving, I decide to stay inside the car, outside Lucy's room. I know it's pathetic, but I just can't go to sleep like everything is fine. Maybe this is something a psycho would do, but I don't care. Emily is the most important thing in my life and I don't want to lose her. I also know that me being here doesn't change anything, but there are times when people do stupid things, and this is my "wise" moment. I turn on the radio and I wait. I don't know what I'm waiting for, but I just wait. 30 minutes later I see Emily and Lucy leaving the building and getting inside a cab. _What is going on here?_

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**

**I know this is short, but I wanted to publish this chapter so you don't forget about the story. Be patient, stay tuned. ;)**


	27. I Won't Leave Your Side

**I'm really sorry, guys. My life is a disaster. I had no time to write… until today. Anyway, here's another chapter. I hope you like it because I really enjoyed writing this.**

**After so many days I think a brief summary of what happened is really needed. xD Previously in Meant to Be… :D**

**Paige's secret about her family is still a secret and Lucy called Emily begging for her to go to her dorm. She had injured her back and Emily goes with her to the hospital. Paige was waiting outside inside her car and she sees her girlfriend leaving with Lucy in a cab. She starts getting paranoid… and… keep reading, buddies. :)**

**I'm just going to comment the reviews from last chapter, there are a lot of them from previous chapters and I don't want to die from exhaustion. LOL Thank you everyone for taking the time to encourage me. It means the world to me. And I also wanted to say thank you to that girl that read the whole story in one day… even if that must not be very healthy. You made me really happy. ;)**

**cooljuli000: Why do you hate Lucy? She's adorable. LOL**

**PrettyLittleVeg: This chapter is longer, and it has more Paige and less Lucy, so I hope you like it. Anyway, Lucy was someone really important on Emily's life, so having feelings for her is understandable, even if you Paily fans don't like it. :D**

**Guest 1: Thank you. I'll update it asap.**

**Librabelieber: See? Lucy is an interesting character. I agree with you. Sometimes she's a jerk, but she is not as bad as she seems. She just wants someone that's already taken. xD Thank you!**

**Del: Thanks! Yeah, these last few months have been a little bit hectic. :) Last week I started to write this chapter, but when I was finishing it I had an idea and I had to rewrite it because I'm already thinking on the next chapters. Lucy is a player. xD She called Emily when she could have called Aria. We all know why she did that. This is a really interesting chapter to understand how they're all feeling about all this misunderstanding. I hope you like it.**

**Guest 2: Your wish is my command. :)**

**PuertoRicanPaily: Gracias! I'm glad you're liking the story so far. Un abrazo. ;)**

**Guest 3: Thanks! And there is more drama coming. Get ready. ;)**

**Guest 4: Thank you. I know I would have to write more often.**

**Thank you for your patience! ;)**

**Enjoy! **

**MEANT TO BE**

_**Chapter 27: I won't leave your side**_

**Paige's POV**

A lot of thoughts are going through my mind in this exact moment. Why did they get into a cab? I thought Lucy needed Emily's help, but they just left the dorm, it didn't look like an emergency. The idea of following them crosses my mind, but I don't think that's the wise thing to do right now. Not that I wouldn't want to follow them so I could understand what is going on, but if I get caught… I mean, I'm not a child who follows her girlfriend because I'm being paranoid about her friend's intentions. My head is about to explode because I even encouraged Em to come help Lucy although I know for sure that she wants her back. I'm an idiot, I don't know why I did that. I raise the volume of the radio with the aim of stopping to think about it, but it doesn't work. After a few seconds thinking about my next decision that's going to make me feel better, I decide to call her. I guess that's the adult thing to do. I pick up my phone and I dial her waiting for her to answer. I don't want to go home and stay awake all night without knowing what is going on with them. I trust her, but… I don't know, something inside me is making me feel so jealous although I shouldn't be feeling this way. I hear a dial tone and right after a few seconds I hear her voice and my heart starts racing.

"Hey," she says with her soft voice.

"Hi. You were supposed to call me, remember?" I add harshly, even if that wasn't my intention. Now that I think about it, it sounded even ruder than I expected. I hear her sighing but she doesn't say anything. I suppose she didn't see this coming.

"What is wrong with you? I'm not in the mood for your bad temper, Paige," she says in a worst attitude than mine. She's mad, and I probably deserve it, because I verbally attacked her for no apparent reason. Well, I don't know that yet. She said that she was going to call me and she didn't, and I saw her leaving Lucy's dorm, so I guess I've got the right to be a little bit harsh.

"I was worried, that's all. I'm sorry." I try to act calm, but I'm still mad at her and I want an explanation.

"Why?" I can sense she's surprised of my sudden interest.

"Where are you? What is going on? I saw you two leaving her dorm." From the moment that the words come out of my mouth I know that she will freak out, but I need to come clean about my investigator qualities.

"What?" She yells at me. I can't see her face, but I can imagine how mad she is.

"I'm sor…" I start saying, but she doesn't give me the chance to apologize. I close my eyes and take a deep breath because I'm one hundred percent sure that she's going to start yelling at me and there's nothing I can do about it other than listen and be quiet. Em is the sweetest girl on earth, but she has a temper, and I know that she's going to show it to me at this exact moment.

"Are you stalking me now? Don't you trust me? What the hell is going on with you? Are you out of your mind? I don't like you following me like I was going to cheat on you or something like that. I thought that I made myself clear about my feelings. What is wrong with you?" I hear someone shushing her. "You're lucky I can't yell in here, because I'm fucking mad at you. God, I can't believe this," she adds, finishing her speech.

"Can I say something?" I add softly so I don't wake up the beast again. She just sighs again, so I guess she is allowing me to tell her the truth. "I'm really sorry about that. It wasn't my intention to… you know. I mean, I trust you, but I can't help but feel jealous, okay? It's not my fault, I'm a human being. I know what I did is dead wrong, but the thing is that I did it." I know that she's on the other side of the line, she doesn't say anything though. "Can I ask you something?" I have to be careful in order to avoid another fight.

"What?" I can feel she's still upset, but I guess my words made her calm down a little bit.

"Where are you? I just want to know if you're okay."

"I'm at the hospital. It's a long story. Lucy had a little accident. I was going to call you later, we were waiting for the doctor and…"

"It's okay. You don't owe me and explanation."

"The doctor is calling me. I have to go. We'll talk tomorrow, okay? Bye." She ends the conversation abruptly, I hope she's not lying about the doctor thing though.

"Okay. I'm sorry again, Em."

Although I already talked to her (or be yelled at by her) I can't go home now. I need to see her, speak to her face to face. I don't know how she will react, but I want to be there no matter what. Besides, she will need a ride home.

**Emily's POV**

Maybe I was too hard on her, but I don't like being followed. It's not only that Lucy is driving me crazy, now I have to deal with my jealous girlfriend. And if that wasn't enough, my friends are starting to be suspicious about my double life. The other day Hanna asked me if I was seeing someone. I told her that I wasn't, but I'm not a good liar, so maybe I will have to tell them about Paige. Anyway, they will have to wait though. I don't have time and courage to do that right now. I know it's stupid, but I don't have the strength to be open about my sexuality yet. However I will have to do it sooner than later.

I'm still sitting at the waiting room of the hospital. I have a magazine in my hands, I can't concentrate on it though. Lucy being back was not a good thing for me. She brings back a lot of memories, good ones actually. I've always liked her, and that fact didn't change after so many years. It's not that I love her, because I'm madly in love with Paige. But that doesn't mean I'm curious about her. I guess the way I feel is completely normal, but sometimes it makes me feel bad. I wouldn't cheat on Paige, though. I love her and I know I couldn't live without her. She's the one. Being attracted to other people is not a big deal. Every person on the earth is attracted to others even if they are completely in love with their couple. However, Paige having doubts about my commitment in this relationship really hurt me. I mean, right now I'm mad at her, but I'm crazy about her. I've never felt this way, not even when I was in love with Lucy. That means she's the one, and that thought scares the crap out of me.

"Em," I hear her saying. I turn around and I see Paige standing on the hospital entrance door and looking a little bit ashamed.

"What the hell?" I ask loudly. "I told you that we would talk tomorrow." She approaches me and sits down next to me without saying a word. The nurse looks daggers at me. I guess I will have to keep my voice down if I want to stay out of trouble.

"How are you planning on getting home? I came to drive you home. I will be your cab driver, and for free. Are you complaining about that too?" I roll my eyes. She's right, but I don't want them to have to interact. It's really awkward having them together in the same car, because I know Lucy will try to provoke her. She's not a bad person, but she likes to be like that.

"I have the right to be mad at you. I still can't believe what you did. Do you not trust me?" She rolls her eyes and avoids my gaze again.

"Are you planning on being so bitchy for the rest of the night?" I'm not the only one who's angry, I can see it in her eyes. She's hurt as well.

"Just leave me alone, okay?" I yell at her. I see the nurse approaching and I know that I made a huge mistake.

"What is your problem, young lady? This is a hospital. If you continue yelling I will have to ask you to leave," the young nurse tells me while I blush out of embarrassment.

"We're sorry. She has a temper problem. I will try to control her," Paige jokes with a grin on her face. She was mad at me a few seconds ago and now she's laughing about me. She's getting on my nerves.

"Fuck you." I stand up and I head towards the bathroom, leaving the nurse open-mouthed.

"I'm sorry about that," I hear Paige telling the nurse.

I open the bathroom door and enter one of the toilet cubicles to take a seat. I take a deep breath and try to calm down. I hear someone entering the bathroom and some steps approaching me.

"Em, open the door, please. It was a joke," Paige says softly.

"I don't want to fight anymore. And I know that we will if I open the door." I can see her feet from the gap under the door, she's still standing there and I don't think she will leave so easily.

"We're not children, Em. Just open the door. I won't leave just like that. And I don't want to make a scene. Open it," she adds as she knocks on the door.

I open the door, but I don't look at her, I keep staring at the floor.

She bends on her knees, our eyes meet. "I'm so sorry, okay?" I look her in the eye and I can see that she's being sincere.

"Don't you dare to do that again, because I assure you that I will kill…" I start saying raising my voice again, but she interrupts me with a kiss that leaves me breathless. "What the hell? Are you bipolar?" I ask annoyingly.

"It was the only way to stop you from moaning about your lousy girlfriend," she says grinning at me as she puts her hands on my waist, making me shiver. She definitely knows how to calm me down.

"You know, you're an idiot," I add with a huge smile on my face.

"Am I?" she asks jokingly while she caresses my back underneath my t-shirt, still bending on her knees.

"Yes, you are," I emphasize while she shakes her head playfully. I get closer to her so I can kiss her, but she avoids it by taking a step back and falling to the floor. I burst into laughter and she grins at me. "Karma," I add with a smile while I give her my hand to help her stand up.

"Yeah, maybe I'm an idiot, but… I'm your idiot, right?" she asks with that sexy grin that drives me crazy. I nod at her and I pull her closer to my body, placing my right hand on her cheek and kissing her passionately. I hear her moaning when our tongues touch. I can't get bored of that feeling.

"Excuse me, ladies," I hear someone saying suddenly. I didn't hear the door opening. We stop kissing and I can see that Paige is blushing and has a smile on her face. The nurse that gave me the ultimatum about being quiet is grinning at us, and I don't even know what to say. "The doctor already saw your friend and she can go home. I just wanted you to know because she's been waiting there for you and she didn't know where you were. Anyway, I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to interrupt you." She's having fun with our awkwardness, she starts laughing and Paige follows her.

"Yeah, sure," I add. "Thank you so much." We head to the door in silence while the nurse keeps laughing. I think we made her day.

"Good job, girl. You finally got her to stop yelling. I didn't know you'd use this method," she says laughing and patting on Paige's shoulder as we leave the bathroom.

Lucy is looking at us from the waiting room and her face expression changes when she sees Paige next to me.

"So, how are you feeling?" I ask politely.

"Hi," Paige says shyly.

"Hi. I didn't know we had a visitor," Lucy adds staring at me. I'm okay, thanks."

"She drove the car so we don't have to call a cab. It's better that way, right?" I ask Lucy.

"Sure. Thanks." Paige nods at her, but she doesn't say a word. I'm glad our dorm is close to the hospital, because I don't want to be the kind of person that doesn't stop speaking just to avoid the awkward silences on the way home.

"Then, let's go," I add, holding Paige's hand.

"Thank you for everything, Em. It's good that I'm back so things can be the same as they were in high school." She smiles at me and I can see Paige looking daggers at her.

"You're welcome. That's what friends are for, right?" I ask right before opening the car door.

"Yeah, you're lucky to have her, Paige," Lucy says with a grin on her face.

"I know how lucky I am. That's why I will never leave her side." She stares at me before turning on the engine and I kiss her. I forget for a minute that Lucy is sitting at the back of the car.

**To be continued…**

**I love reviews. :D Suggestions are welcome. Thank you for your support, guys. I really appreciate your words. You're awesome. :)**

**Be patient, stay tuned. ;)**


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